


Advanced Chemistry

by ficmuse



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: A Mad Bomber Is On The Loose, Alternate Canon, Betty and Jughead Solve A Mystery, F/M, Hiram Lodge Has Nefarious Plans, Southside Serpent Betty Cooper, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-02-27 12:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 89,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13248039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficmuse/pseuds/ficmuse
Summary: After a bombing destroys Southside High, Veronica helps the new Southside students feel welcome at Riverdale High. Her new lab partner, Sweet Pea, changes her perception of the Serpents. But as tensions rise between the haves and have nots of Riverdale, Veronica finds herself trapped in the middle. Before the next bomb explodes, she must decide where her true loyalties lie.





	1. Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Elegantmoonchild for creating the Sweet Pea and Veronica relationship. Please seek out her fic if you enjoy this pairing!
> 
> As always, this story wouldn't exist if not for my partner in crime, Jandy. Thank you for your editing skills, your friendship and all the pics. Especially the pics.

**_Prologue_ **

_The Riverdale Register, January 1, 2018_

_MAD BOMBER DESTROYS SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL_

Just as the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve, a massive explosion rocked the Southside. Southside High School, at 2100 Meriwether Lane, was engulfed in fire from an incendiary device. The fire departments of Riverdale, Greendale, and Rockland all responded to the three-alarm blaze. Despite their valiant efforts, the entire building was destroyed. The initial estimate from the Rockland County School Board values the loss at seventeen million dollars.

There was an unexpected and sudden loss of life. The school security guard, Leroy Jenkins, 59, was found outside of the building. Mr. Jenkins perished from three gunshot wounds to his chest. He was not the only fatality. Tragically, the bodies of five teenagers were pulled from the boiler room in the basement. Diamond McKee, 17; Dana Lowgood, 16; John Carroll, 17; Linden Smith, 15; and Tiffani Carver, 15, died of asphyxiation from smoke inhalation. At this time, it is not known why the children were in the building during the school break. A confidential source in the police department indicated that the deceased teens had ties to local gang activity.

At an emergency Town Hall Meeting this morning, Mayor Sierra McCoy announced that the Riverdale Police and Fire departments had launched a task force to find the culprit. “We will not let Riverdale be destroyed by the acts of one individual,” the mayor announced during an impassioned speech. “We must all do our part to fight against senseless acts of violence and terrorism.”

As the scheduled Christmas break ends, all Southside High School students will be enrolled in Riverdale High School. The Andrews Construction Company has begun the installation of temporary classroom buildings on the Riverdale High baseball field to accommodate the newly enlarged student body. A welcoming committee, led by Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper, both juniors at Riverdale High School, has been tasked with easing the transition for the new arrivals.

A meeting of the school board will be held on March 5 to determine whether Southside will be rebuilt or if Riverdale High School will remain the town’s only high school.

_**Chapter One** _

Everyone had predicted that on the day Southside High merged with Riverdale High, the world, as they knew it, would collapse. Chaos would reign in the halls. The kids would riot. It would be the beginning of a post-apocalyptic hellscape. But it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, it was kind of boring.

Veronica wore her best pearls and brightest smile to greet the Southside kids on their first day of school. She and the other student ambassadors, Betty, Kevin, Josie, and Ethel, stood just inside the front doors with signs and clipboards. She held up a sign “F-J.”

“If your last name begins with F through J, please see me,” Veronica said to the kids that were milling past. “F through J, you’re with me.”

Soon there was a small group of teens in front of her, including Jughead and a couple of familiar looking Serpents.

“Hello all, my name is Veronica Lodge. I’m your student ambassador. Welcome to Riverdale High.”

“Are you our welcome wagon?” asked Jughead. “Because I’m pretty sure I can find my way around without your help.”

“I’ve missed your daily dose of sarcasm, Jug.” Veronica held up the clipboard that Mrs. Mariano had given her in the front office. “I have your schedules. There’s a map of the campus attached.”

Veronica began handing out the schedules. “Mimi Floyd?” A short blonde took her schedule.

“Francis Fogarty?”

“Call me Fangs.” Veronica handed him his schedule. “Thanks.”

“Patrick Flannery?”

“That’s me.” Sweet Pea shuffled forward and took his schedule.

“So, can I call you Patrick?” Jughead asked.

Sweet Pea’s reply was an extended middle finger.

“Benjamin Huff?” A very tall blond guy in a Ghoulies jacket grabbed his schedule.

“Forsythe Jones?”

Jughead took his schedule and looked it over. “Good, I’m back in the same classes.”

“So can we call you Forsythe?” asked Fangs.

“That’s a hard no, Francis,” Jughead replied.

All the schedules had been given out. “If anyone has first-period Civics with Miss Haley, you can come with me," said Veronica."If you have any questions or problems, I will be at the welcome table in the cafeteria during fourth-period lunch.”

Everyone wandered off to their respective classes. That left Veronica standing alone with Fangs Fogarty. “You have Civics first period?” she asked him.

“Yeah.” They walked to class together. Veronica noticed that he had no backpack, no binder, and no school supplies of any kind. She made a mental note to talk to Principal Weatherbee about getting backpacks for the Southsiders.

“So where do kids go to smoke here?” asked Fangs.

“Up on the roof,” Veronica replied. “Take the back staircase, hang a left at the top of the stairs. There’s a door that says “No Admittance.” That’s the one you want.”

“Cool.” He lowered his voice. “What if I want to score a joint?”

Boy, was that a horrible idea. “Our local pharmaceutical rep isn’t a Southside fan. I’d stick with your usual connection for that.”

Fangs nodded. “Got it.”

Veronica walked into the Civics classroom, handed off Fangs to Miss Haley, and took her usual seat between Betty and Archie.

“How’s the day going so far?” asked Betty. "I didn't have any drama with my group. They all seemed nice."

"Nice for gang members," muttered Archie.

“Don't be like that,” Veronica replied. "They're kids, Arch, just like us."

“They're not like us. There’s bound to be a fight in the halls by third period,” said Archie. “It’s just a matter of time with those Southside hoods in the mix.”

“I don’t think the Southsiders are looking for a fight,” Betty argued. “It’s not their fault that their school was destroyed.”

“There are a lot of kids that don’t want them here,” Archie pointed out. “There’s no way this is going to work out.”

Betty turned to Veronica. “So, did you see Jug?” She was using her soft, sad post-breakup voice. Betty always sounded like that when she said his name.

“Of course I saw him,” Veronica replied.

“How did he look?”

“Six feet tall, sexy jacket, dumb hat,” Veronica explained. “You know, the usual.”

“You think that gang jacket is sexy?” Archie raised one eyebrow.

“Of course.” Veronica shrugged. “Black leather? Hello? What’s not to like?”

“Hell yes.” Betty agreed. “So hot.”

Archie made a gagging noise as the bell rang.

_****_

Veronica didn’t see any more of the new arrivals until third period. As the bell rang, the super tall Serpent with the neck tattoo wandered in, looking slightly lost. “Is this AP Chemistry?” he asked the teacher.

“Indeed it is,” Mr. Dorn replied. “Welcome to Riverdale High. You must be Mr. Patrick Flannery.” The teacher handed him a textbook and a lab manual.

“I go by Sweet Pea,” he explained.

“Duly noted.” Mr. Dorn made a notation in his role book. “We have a few extra seats, so sit wherever you like.”

Veronica watched with annoyance as coats and backpacks were scooted across lab tables, making it abundantly clear that the new arrival was decidedly unwanted. Assholes. Time to lead by example.

Veronica stood up and waved. “There’s a free seat here.” Sweet Pea made eye contact with her, giving her a surprisingly sweet smile before heading to her table near the back of the room.

As he walked past Cheryl, she murmured, “I hope they fumigated all you Southside scum before they let you into our vermin free building.”

“Suck me, bitch,” he responded in an equally low voice.

Immediately Cheryl put her hand up. “Mr. Dorn! Mr. Dorn!”

“Unless someone is on fire I do not care, Miss Blossom,” said Mr. Dorn.

“I have a complaint!” Cheryl waved her hand wildly in the air.

“Class, please open your lab manuals to page thirty-eight. I would like you to set up your lab equipment as indicated by the diagram, please.”

Sweet Pea sat down on the empty lab stool next to hers. Veronica opened her lab manual to the correct page. She quickly read through the setup and grabbed a beaker.

Sweet Pea tapped her on the arm. “I’m a little anal about the lab setup. I like to do everything myself.”

Veronica shrugged. “Fine with me. How about you do the experiment, I write the lab notes?”

He extended a hand. “Deal.” They shook on it. Veronica’s hand was dwarfed by his large one. Sweet Pea was a really big guy.

Sweet Pea began setting up for the lab. He was extremely precise, lining up everything just so. “Your lab equipment is a dream come true.” He patted a beaker affectionately. “We didn’t have anything nearly this nice at Southside High.”

“They are both public schools,” Veronica replied. “It’s preposterous that we have better facilities and equipment than your school did just because of some fake socioeconomic dividing line.”

“Oh, it’s not fake.” Sweet Pea blinked as he carefully measured out benzoic acid. “That line is very real.”

“I just mean that it’s not fair,” Veronica explained.

He shrugged. “Life’s not fair.”

Sweet Pea’s hands were steady. He methodically performed the entire experiment; all Veronica had to do was answer the questions on the worksheet in the lab manual.

“You really know what you’re doing,” Veronica observed.

“Chemistry is my favorite class by far,” he explained. “I received an early acceptance to MIT for the fall. Chemical Engineering, full ride.”

“Holy crap. Congrats!”

He smiled, lightning fast. Veronica could have sworn she spied a dimple in one cheek.

As Mr. Dorn went around checking the lab setups, they were the only one to do the lab perfectly.

“Stick with Mr. Flannery here and you just might pass the class, Miss Lodge,” said Mr. Dorn. “Don’t forget to turn in the written lab report before you leave. Make sure both of your names are on it.” The teacher moved on to the next table.

“You’re failing Chemistry?” asked Sweet Pea.

“Not quite; I have a D right now. My lab partner dropped the class back in October and I’ve been solo ever since. I’m lost,” Veronica admitted. “My dad made me sign up for AP classes because they look better on your transcript.”

“Not if you flunk them,” Sweet Pea pointed out.

“I’m painfully aware of that.”

With the experiment complete, Veronica carefully wrote up their findings. Sweet Pea quickly and effortlessly calculated the percentages needed in his head while Veronica was still struggling with her calculator.

“I like this dynamic,” Sweet Pea announced as they were packing up their stuff before the bell. “I get to play with the equipment, you do the boring part and write up the results with your fancy handwriting.”

“Works for me,” Veronica replied. “I feel guilty, though. You really did all the work.”

“I think it was in everyone’s best interest. I mean, to be blunt, you haven’t got a fucking clue.” He gave her a teasing smile. “If I let you handle the chemicals, you just might blow up the lab.”

Veronica laughed despite herself. “I hate to admit it, but you’re not wrong.”

He handed her a slip of paper. “Here’s my number. If you need a tutor, I charge fifty bucks an hour.”

“That’s a lot higher than the going rate.” Dilton Doiley charged ten dollars an hour, but she’d honestly rather flunk Chem than spend another hour with that weirdo.

“I’m worth every penny, dollface.” With that, Sweet Pea unfolded himself from the lab stool and headed out of the room.

_****_

At lunch, Veronica sat down next to Betty in the cafeteria. She was alone, picking sadly at her salad. Since this last break up with Jughead, her BFF had been seriously down.

Veronica patted Betty’s shoulder. “I was thinking that today would be a good day to have some girl time. Maybe we could go to Chez Nails and get a manicure after school? My treat.”

Betty smiled. “I’d really like that.” She looked like she was about to cry. Her friend was suffering from Jughead problems, no doubt. This breakup was a stupid idea, especially now that Bughead were going to see each other at school every day. Maybe she could get Archie to help her stage a friendtervention?

There was a loud noise from the corner of the cafeteria. Veronica looked over and there was an absolute scrum of guys. It was a tangle of blue varsity jackets and black Serpent leathers. As Veronica stood up to get a better view, she saw someone in a Riverdale jacket rip Jughead’s beanie off his head and send it sailing across the cafeteria.

Veronica was one of those responsible for the successful integration of the Southsiders and, damn it, she was not letting anyone fuck it up four periods into the school day.

She grabbed the plastic tray from her lunch and started running. Her Louboutins weren’t the best choice, but she hadn’t planned on running a goddamn sprint that day.

“Break it up!” she yelled. “Stop it!”

She saw that Archie was in the mix, pulling back Moose’s arm in an attempt to hold him back as he lunged towards Fangs.

Veronica reached the perimeter of the fight. She shoved Dilton Doiley out the way. Reggie Mantle, surprise surprise, was the one picking on Jughead. As she watched, Reggie slapped Jug across the face so hard his head rocked backwards. Furious, Veronica held the lunch tray tightly in both hands and slammed Reggie in the back of the head with it.

“Ronnie! No!” Archie’s eyes were wide.

“Fucking bitch!” Before Veronica even had time to react, Reggie backhanded her. He had a heavy class ring on one finger and she heard something crunch in her nose. The force of the blow knocked her flat on her ass.

Veronica heard the whole room gasp as she hit the floor. She cradled her face in her hands. It hurt and she felt warm blood running down her mouth.

Almost immediately, someone was by her side. “Look at me, Veronica. Move your hands.” It was a sweet soft voice, incredibly gentle. “Let me see.”

She let out a gasp. The pain was so bad that she was sobbing.

A large hand rubbed her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let me see how bad it is.” She looked up and it was Sweet Pea.

She moved her hands away from her face. They were covered in blood and more was pouring down her chin.

Sweet Pea winced. “I think you’ve got a broken nose, baby doll. Lean your head forward so you don’t choke on the blood.” He put his hand on the back of her neck and gently tilted her head forward.

“Let me see her. I’m her boyfriend,” Veronica heard Archie say. “Get out of my way!”

Sweet Pea stepped away and moved back into the crowd.

Archie knelt down in front of her. “Ronnie? Are you okay?”

“No. I got hurt,” she explained. “I’m bleeding.” It was hard to talk; her voice sounded funny.

Betty knelt on her other side. “My God, Veronica.” She put her arm around Veronica’s shoulder. “Archie, we need to get her to the nurse right away.”

“We’ve got you, V.” Archie and Betty put their arms around her and pulled her to her feet.

Veronica’s head reeled. She felt sick to her stomach. Her mouth was filled with the coppery sweet taste of her own blood.

As Veronica watched, Sweet Pea walked right up to Reggie and punched him in the nose, hard. He did it again and Reggie’s nose started bleeding.

Moose grabbed the collar of Sweet Pea’s jacket and socked him right in the jaw.

Jughead’s face twisted into a snarl and he punched Moose under his chin.

The fight began in earnest, all over again.

Betty pressed a Kleenex against Veronica’s nose. “Lean your head forward, sweetie.”

Archie patted Veronica’s back. “It’s going to be okay, Ronnie.”

As they led her out of the cafeteria, Sheriff Keller and Mr. Weatherbee ran in. Too little, too late.

_****_

Three hours later, Veronica was sitting in the waiting room at Riverdale Hospital while her father signed her release papers. She leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder as they waited to leave.

“How is the pain?” her mother asked. “Is it any better?”

“The pain meds finally kicked in,” Veronica told her mother. “I’m feeling fine now.”

“I hope you learned a valuable lesson about what to do in a fight,” said Hermione. “You don’t run toward it, _mija_. You run away.”

“I had no idea I’d get hurt,” Veronica explained. “I just wanted to break it up before it got worse.”

“Where was your boyfriend when this happened?” Her mother was furious. “Why wasn’t he looking out for you?”

“He was in the fight. He was trying to break it up. This wasn’t Archie’s fault.”

Her father came over and kissed Veronica’s forehead. “We can go now, princess. Are you feeling well enough to go to the police station or should I take you to the Pembrooke first?”

“The police station?” Hermione was aghast.

“I intend to press charges against the person who did this to our daughter,” said Hiram.

“Surely you don’t think this was intentional? Veronica was somewhere she didn’t belong and what happened was an unfortunate accident.”

“Reggie hit me on purpose,” Veronica said. “He called me a fucking bitch.”

Her father clenched his teeth. “We’re going to the police station, _mi amor_ , and I don’t want to hear one more word about it.”

“Yes, Hiram,” Hermione said quietly.

Veronica hated it when her parents acted like this. Her father could be so cold and stern and she knew it hurt her mother's feelings.

On the drive over, Veronica’s father ranted. “That Andrews boy should have protected you, defended you. How could he stand by and let this happen to you?”

“It’s not his fault. He didn’t do anything wrong,” Veronica argued.

“I would lay down my life for your mother!” Hiram hissed. “That boyfriend is unworthy of you.”

“Daddy, can you please stop yelling? I already feel like garbage.”

Instead, Hiram just muttered in an intense, angry stream of Spanish. He was speaking more quickly than Veronica could translate; she could only pick out a colorful expletive here and there.

When they arrived at the police station, Betty, her mother, and Jughead’s dad were sitting in the waiting area.

Betty stood up and hugged Veronica. “Oh, V, your poor face!”

“The doctor said it’s just a minor fracture of my nose, but I’m going to look like a complete nightmare for at least a week.”

Hiram turned to Mrs. Cooper. “What are you doing here, Alice?”

“FP and I are trying to bail out Jughead but Sheriff Keller won’t let him go,” she explained.

“Did they let out Reggie and Moose on bail?” Veronica asked. “Is Archie still here, too?"

“They didn’t arrest any of the Riverdale boys,” Betty explained. “But Fangs, Sweet Pea, Jug and Toni are in jail.”

“Well, that’s bullshit,” Veronica said.

“Veronica.” Her mother’s voice was sharp.

“Your daughter is right, Hermione. This town is corrupt to the bone,” Mrs. Cooper said. “If you’re from the Southside, you’ll never get a fair shake.”

“Since when are you proud of your Southside roots?” asked Hermione snidely. “Haven’t you been trying to hide your past for decades?”

An inner door opened and Sheriff Keller stepped out. Immediately, everyone rushed toward him, all talking at the same time.

He held up one hand. “All of you. Stop.”

“I want to file assault charges against Reggie Mantle,” Veronica said loudly.

Sheriff Keller raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“I have a broken nose and two black eyes,” Veronica explained. “I think it’s pretty clear. Take a good look at my screwed up face.”

Sheriff Keller frowned. “You’re saying that Reggie Mantle did this to you?”

“He did. Just after he attacked Jughead Jones. I was trying to stop the fight. He assaulted me. The other Serpents were trying to break up the fight, too. I saw Moose and Reggie hit Jughead. He should file charges, too.”

“Jughead has a busted lip and a black eye,” Betty said angrily.

“Look, I don’t think you understand the situation, Miss Lodge,” said Sheriff Keller. “I can’t just haul in a star athlete on your say so.”

“Are you calling my daughter a liar?” Hiram said, his voice like ice.

“All I’m saying is that what Miss Lodge is saying does not reflect the statements I took from the Riverdale athletes,” the sheriff explained.

A vein bulged in Hiram’s forehead. “I demand justice and I will have it!” He pointed his finger at Veronica. “Look at my daughter’s beautiful face, Tom! Look at it!”

Veronica had to agree; her face was totally fucked up. Thank God she was on some really fantastic pain medication. Her head felt like it was floating above her body. Veronica started giggling.

Everyone turned to look at her.

“It’s been a really hard day,” she explained. “I mean, it’s not been fun. I wanted things to go well for the Southsiders and this is just a hot mess. Like my face.” Abruptly, she burst into tears.

Betty hugged her. “It’s okay, V. You’ll be back to normal soon.”

“I want Reggie Mantle here in handcuffs or I will sue you personally, the town of Riverdale and Rockland County for good measure!” Hiram had completely lost his shit.

The sheriff blinked. “Okay, okay. Let’s all just sit down and work this out.”

_****_

Thirty minutes later they all sat around a large conference table in the police station. Betty and her mother sat next to Jughead; FP was next to Toni; Fangs was with an absolutely gorgeous Latina woman; and Sweet Pea sat next to the tiniest, most delicate looking elderly woman Veronica had ever seen. The Northside families had been called down to the station, too. Archie sat with his father; Moose was with both of his parents; and Reggie sat with his mom.

Veronica was very happy to see that Jughead and Betty were holding hands. Nothing like a crisis to bring them back together. Jug looked like crap. His right eye appeared to be swollen shut.

“I did not hit Veronica,” argued Reggie.

“We all saw you do it!” Sweet Pea hissed, his face red. “You smacked her right in the fucking face.”

“Language, Patrick.” His grandmother patted his cheek. “Watch your tongue.”

Sweet Pea blushed, his face pink. “Sorry, Gram.”

“I wasn’t trying to hit Veronica. She stepped into the path of my hand,” Reggie said angrily. “That chick shouldn’t have been anywhere near the fight.”

“Who started the fight?” the sheriff asked.

“Reggie hit Jughead,” Veronica replied.

“That’s not true,” Reggie protested.

“It is true,” said Toni. All the Serpents started talking in unison.

“One at a time,” the sheriff said. “Miss Topaz.”

“Reggie ripped Jug’s hat off and threw it,” Toni snapped.

“Yeah, I took away baby boy’s security blanket.” Reggie leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. “Big whoop.”

“You’ve been bullying my son for years and he’s never fought back,” FP snarled. “I’m proud that he finally got a punch in.”

“Toni punched Reggie when he ripped my hat off,” explained Jughead. “Technically, I did not get a punch in. She did.”

“Oh.” FP looked disappointed.

“I did hit Moose later,” Jughead clarified. “Not that it hurt his massive gargoyle face, but I did punch him.”

“When we get out of here, I am going to break you into tiny pieces,” Moose snarled.

“Shut your mouth, Marmaduke,” snapped Moose’s mother.

“Everyone please calm down.” Sheriff Keller turned towards Jughead. “Why did you assault Moose?”

“I punched Moose to try to get him to stop hitting Sweet Pea,” Jughead explained.

“Reggie started the entire altercation. The Serpents were just trying to defend themselves,” said Betty. “I saw it. Veronica saw it. One hundred kids eating lunch saw it!”

“This incident proves that the Southside element cannot safely coexist in Riverdale High School,” said Moose’s father. “The Southsiders need to be redirected into South County Vocational.”

“South County doesn’t offer any academic classes,” FP argued. “It’s just a trade school. We’ve got Southside kids on college preparatory tracks, like my son. You cannot take that away. You haven’t got the right.”

“None of those hoodlums have a chance of getting into college anyway,” Reggie’s mother said coldly. “They should be grateful that taxpayer dollars would subsidize their future job opportunities.”

“That’s so elitist and classist,” Veronica argued. “You can’t paint every kid from the Southside with the same brush.”

“Maybe it is not politically correct to say so,” said Sheriff Keller, “but we all know that the young people from the Southside have nothing more to look forward to than blue collar jobs or petty crime.”

“That’s not true. Jughead’s GPA is higher than mine.” Veronica looked over at her new lab partner. “Sweet Pea has a full ride scholarship to MIT this fall. He’s from the Southside and he’s a Serpent, but he’s a genius.”

“That’s true,” said Sweet Pea’s grandmother proudly. “My Patrick is a National Merit Scholar Finalist. He received a full scholarship and he’s headed to Massachusetts this fall. His parents, God rest their souls, would be very proud.”

“Tom,” Mrs. Cooper said softly, “I don’t think the story of a school fight instigated by Riverdale athletes needs to be the front page of tomorrow’s _Register_. I think a positive headline about a successful first day of school for the Southside students would go over better, don’t you? After the Black Hood debacle and the bomb explosion, Riverdale could use a positive human interest story. Such as a very intelligent orphan from the Southside who is clearly destined for great things.”

Everyone turned to look at Sweet Pea. He blushed again and it was adorable.

“I’ll drop the charges against Reggie if you let the Southsiders go,” Veronica offered. “We can end this whole thing tonight, Sheriff Keller. All I want is an apology.” She had to get the Serpents out of jail. This was a bunch of trumped up garbage.

Reggie looked over at Veronica. “I did not hurt you on purpose.”

That was such bullshit. “Fine. Apologize and we’ll all go home.”

Reggie ground his teeth. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

That was as good as it was going to get from Reggie. “Apology accepted.”

“I think it would best for all the parties involved to put this behind them,” said Sheriff Keller. “All charges are dropped. You can all head home.”

The families stood up and began to file out. Archie walked over to her. “I’m so sorry you got hurt, Ronnie.”

“No thanks to you,” Hiram said angrily.

“Daddy, don’t,” Veronica protested.

Archie cleared his throat. “My dad and I are headed to Pop’s for some dinner. Would you like to join us, Mrs. Lodge, Mr. Lodge?”

Archie had picked an absolutely terrible time to try to bury the hatchet between the two families. Veronica was pretty sure her father would rather eat nails than break bread with Fred Andrews.

“My daughter needs to go home and ice her face,” Hermione responded coldly. “She’s not up to a social engagement.”

Archie kissed her gently on the forehead. “I’ll call you later.”

“Hiram? Hermione?” The sheriff called out. “May I speak with you in my office for one minute?”

“We’ll be right back, princess.” Veronica’s parents followed the sheriff and Veronica sat back down to wait. She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through Instagram to kill time.

Sweet Pea sat down in the chair next to her. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“I’m supposed to keep icing my face off and on tonight and all day tomorrow,” Veronica explained. “I’ll be back at school the next day.”

“You want me to come by tomorrow and help you with your chemistry homework?” he asked.

“I’d like that. I’m at the Pembrooke. I’ll tell the doorman to expect you.”

“See you tomorrow then.” Sweet Pea smiled. “You know, it takes a really gorgeous girl to look good even with a broken nose. Your boyfriend is a lucky guy.”

The elderly lady that Veronica had seen earlier walked toward them, one hand on her cane.

Sweet Pea immediately stood up. “Are you ready to go home, Gram?”

"I am." The wizened old woman smiled at Veronica. Her eyes were a warm brown. Sweet Pea had his grandmother's eyes. "Please introduce me to your friend, Patrick."

 Veronica extended her hand. "I'm Veronica Lodge. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Patricia Flannery. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for standing up for my grandson and his friends."

"It was the right thing to do."

"Doing the right thing isn't always easy. You showed character, young lady."

The old woman took Sweet Pea's arm and leaned heavily on him as they walked out the door. Just before it closed, Sweet Pea turned back, looked over his shoulder at her and smiled.

She never would have expected one of the Serpents to have such a sweet smile.


	2. Ball of Confusion

Veronica slept away most of the next day in a cloud of painkillers. Every few hours, her mother woke her up to put an ice pack on her face and give her some water. As soon as she was done, Veronica drifted back into sleep.

She had weird, intense dreams. In one, she was back in Manhattan at the Metropolitan Opera with her parents. They were seated in the red velvet and gilt splendor of their private box. Veronica was dressed in a vintage Versace gown, all glitter and gold. The heavy weight of the material made her feel like she was drowning.

Hermione was dressed all in black, her long neck ringed in a thick ruby encrusted collar. Her father was sitting next to her, speaking Spanish. Veronica couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“He’s saying that appearances can be deceiving.” Veronica turned towards the voice. Sweet Pea was in the seat next to hers, dressed in a black tux. The serpent tattoo on his neck flickered. It was moving, the coils of the snake shifting around.

She reached out her hand and touched the snake. The scales felt smooth and cold under her fingers. It blinked its eyes at her and then hissed. The snake’s sharp fangs sank into her hand.

The world started to shake and spin. “Veronica. _Querida_ ,” said a familiar voice. Her mother’s.

Veronica opened her eyes. Hermione was shaking her shoulders, trying to wake her from sleep.

“What time is it?” asked Veronica, her voice groggy.

“Just after three. Archie is here to see you.”

“Oh, great.” Veronica slowly sat up. “Do I look okay?”

Hermione frowned. “Your face is very swollen, but there is nothing we can do about that. Why don’t you brush your hair and put on a little lip gloss?”

A few minutes later, Archie was led into her bedroom. Her mother pointedly left the door slightly ajar.

“I’m not sure what my mom thinks we’re going to do in here,” said Veronica. “I’m not exactly up for acrobatic sex at the moment.”

Archie laughed, his eyes bright. “No, that’s going to have to wait. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not in pain right now. I’m going to stop taking the painkillers tomorrow, though. That’s when it is going to hurt.”

He handed her a red envelope. “I brought a get well card from everyone. I had so many people ask about you today.”

“That’s sweet, Archie.” Veronica was genuinely touched.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t spend time with you last night,” Archie explained. “You know that my dad and and I went to Pop’s. FP and Jug came along and Betty and her mom came too.”

“Really?” Veronica was intrigued. “I saw Betty and Jughead holding hands at the police station last night. Are they back on again?”

Archie shrugged noncommittally. “I’m sure it won’t last.”

“I hope it does,” said Veronica. “Betty has been miserable without him. I’m sure Jug told you how unhappy he was, too.”

Archie sighed. “Jughead and I aren’t talking much these days. Considering what’s been going on with him, his new Serpent bros, maybe that’s best.”

“The Serpents are not as bad as you think they are. Sweet Pea, he’s one of the Serpents. He’s my lab partner and he’s brilliant. He’s going to be my new chemistry tutor.”

Archie shook his head. “No way, Ronnie. I don’t want you spending time with any of the Serpents, including Jughead. It’s not safe.”

That was nuts. “Archie, the Serpents, not to mention the Ghoulies, are in school with us now. They are in our classes and in the halls. Soon, they will be in clubs and sports teams and everything else. You can’t just draw a line in the sand and say no.”

Archie frowned. “Sure I can.”

He was being such a hard ass. “I won’t stop being friends with Jughead just because you don’t like the Serpents. I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Archie. Are you seriously telling me you are willing to throw away a lifelong friendship just because Jughead made a choice you don’t agree with?”

“My best friend, my brother, would never have gotten involved with a gang. I hate to say it, Ronnie, but Jug is a thug now. He’s no better than the rest of the Serpents.” Archie rubbed his chin. “Honestly, I think Betty and Jughead were better off apart.”

“What a terrible thing to say.” Veronica was bewildered. “If you knew how deeply upset Betty has been over the break up you would never say that.”

He stood up abruptly. “Look, V, I’ve got to get back to school. I’ve got a meeting for the wrestling team.”

“I’ll be back at school tomorrow. We’ll talk more then.” Veronica had to talk him out of this anti-Jug, anti-Southside attitude. It would only hurt their friendship with Betty and Jughead. She wanted things to go back to the way they had been before: all four of them supporting each other, caring about each other.

“See you then.” Archie kissed her cheek and left.

Veronica opened up the get-well card. All of her friends had signed it. At the bottom of the card, she noticed a little cartoon of a snake with fangs extended. There was a little SP written next to it.

Veronica dozed off again. When she woke up, her father was speaking to her. “Veronica, that hoodlum with the neck tattoo is here. He says he has some schoolwork for you.”

She sat up and stretched her arms. “Daddy, he’s not a hoodlum! Sweet Pea is my lab partner for Chemistry. I asked him to come. You can let him in.”

“Unlike your mother, I will not permit you to entertain boys in your bedroom,” said her father. “Let me help you to the living room.”

“No one’s going to be thinking inappropriate thoughts about me when I have two black eyes and a brace on my nose, Daddy.”

He frowned. “I think you underestimate the adolescent male sex drive, princess. They are all _cerdos_.”

Veronica wrapped herself in her fuzzy bathrobe. Her dad swung her up into his arms and carried her to the living room. Once there, Hiram set her on the sofa, put her feet up on the ottoman and then let Sweet Pea into the room.

Hiram extended his hand. “I’m Hiram Lodge.”

Sweet Pea shook it. “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Patrick Flannery. I prefer to be called Sweet Pea, though.”

“That’s quite a tattoo you’ve got there.”

“Daddy, be nice.” Veronica admonished her father.

“I’ll be in my office if you need anything, _mija_.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

With a sidelong look at Sweet Pea, Hiram left the room.

Veronica patted the seat next to her on the couch. “Come sit with me. How was your second day of school? Hopefully no fights today?”

Sweet Pea shrugged and sat down next to Veronica. “No fights, just a lot of dirty looks. A few guys bumped against me in the hall, that kind of crap. That girl Cheryl Blossom? She’s a fucking bitch, man. I can’t believe the nasty shit she says to all of us.”

“Cheryl’s only joy in life is trying to tear people down. She’s got problems, major ones.” Veronica sighed. “It doesn’t excuse how she’s acting but I like to think, deep down, she has a good heart.”

“Well, that must be buried pretty deep fucking down.”

Veronica had hoped for a better beginning for the new kids. After all, it wasn’t the Southsiders’ fault that someone had blown up their school. “When I came here from Manhattan, I didn’t know a soul. Everyone was so nice to me and I made friends right away. I’m sorry that the kids at Riverdale High haven’t been as welcoming to you.”

Sweet Pea shrugged. “I’m not surprised. The only time a Northsider is nice to someone like me is because they want something.”

“Is that what you think of me, too?” Veronica felt horrible. “I mean, you offered to tutor me, but if you think I’m taking advantage of you-”

Sweet Pea put his hand on her arm. “No, I wasn’t talking about you. You’re one of maybe three people that have been cool to me the last couple of days. That guy Kevin. Josie, she’s nice. Betty, of course.”

“My girl Betty is the best,” Veronica said proudly.

“Betty is one cool chick. But I’m not surprised. I mean, the stories about her mom are fucking legendary.”

“You know dirt on Betty’s mom?” Veronica raised one eyebrow. “Oh my God. Spill!”

Sweet Pea shook his head and smirked at her. “Serpents tell no tales.”

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that and not tell me!”

“You’ll have to get Betty to tell you.” He pulled out a binder and his chemistry textbook from his backpack. “So, we need to study. There’s a worksheet due tomorrow. Did you do the reading?”

“No, I haven’t. I pretty much just slept all day.”

He nodded. “Okay. So why don’t I just go over the important parts with you? I wrote some notes so you could just get the really key points.”

Sweet Pea was an excellent tutor: patient, knowledgeable and completely willing to rehash the same concept again and again until she got it. After two hours, Veronica understood more about what they’d been working on in class than she had in weeks.

Her mother walked into the room. “It’s time for you to finish up, kids. We’re about to have dinner.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” said Veronica. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Hermione turned to Sweet Pea. “We’re having Boeuf Bourguignon _._ Would you like to join us? _”_

Sweet Pea blinked. “Really?”

“We have plenty to go around,“ said Hermione.

Veronica was suspicious. Her mother was being uncharacteristically nice, particularly to a Southside Serpent. “Sweet Pea, it’s fine if you don’t want to stay.”

“Actually, my grandmother is with her bridge club, so I’m free tonight.” He stood up. “Thank you, Mrs. Lodge.”

*****

Dinner was, as always, perfect. Veronica’s mother was an excellent cook. Veronica knew that her mother wanted something from Sweet Pea, but she had no idea what. Fifteen minutes in, Hermione began her interrogation.

“So, Patrick,” said Hermione. “I’m sure you don’t know this, but my mother was very close friends with your grandmother.”

“Really?” That was news to Veronica.

Hermione nodded. “Our families lived across the street from each other on Second Avenue. We lived in an apartment over my family’s restaurant. Your grandmother’s house was just across the street.”

“You’re from the Southside?” Sweet Pea looked surprised. Veronica was, too. Her mother rarely spoke about her past.

“I lived in the Southside until I was twelve. My family’s business expanded; we were in a much better financial position. My parents bought this apartment here in the Pembrooke. They wanted access to the better schools here, for me and my sister Helen.”

“That’s when we met,” said Hiram. “I fell in love with her at first sight, the first day of seventh grade.”

Veronica smiled. “You’re so sweet, Daddy.” She secretly loved the fact that her parents had been in love for so long.

“I was friends with your father when we were kids, Patrick,” Hermione explained. “Your aunt Shannon was my best friend growing up. I was her maid of honor when she got married at Saint Bernadette’s.”

“We still go there,” said Sweet Pea. “My grandmother wouldn’t miss Sunday Mass for anything.”

“How is your aunt?” asked Hermione. “I received a Christmas card from her, but it’s been a while since we spoke.”

“They’re doing well,” Sweet Pea replied smoothly. “My uncle Dave is still working for Microsoft up in Seattle. They’re flying in to spend Easter with us. My other aunts and uncles are coming home, too. My grandma is pretty excited about that.”

“How many aunts and uncles do you have?” asked Veronica curiously.

“Six,” Sweet Pea replied with a little chuckle. “Your typical Irish Catholic family. I have thirty-one first cousins and that’s just on my dad’s side. My mother’s family is from Mexico and also very Catholic. So it’s not a surprise that I have nearly as many cousins on that side, too.”

“It’s wonderful that you come from such a large family.” Hermione took a sip of her merlot. “Unfortunately, Veronica doesn’t have any cousins or living grandparents on my side. My family has suffered a great deal of tragedy, as has yours.”

Sweet Pea licked his lips. “That’s very true. My parents died in a car crash four years ago and I came to live with my grandparents. My grandfather died that same year and it’s been just been my grandmother and me ever since.”

“Is that why you joined the Serpents?” Hiram asked. “To help support your grandmother?”

“Dad!” Veronica was appalled at her father’s probing question.

“It’s okay. I’m not embarrassed about it,” said Sweet Pea. “There are not that many jobs out there for fourteen-year-old kids. The boss, FP, he was willing to give me a chance when no one else would.”

“FP Jones is not a good role model.” Hermione shook her head. “Not in any way.”

“He’d be the first one to admit that,” Sweet Pea agreed. “But at the end of the day, I keep food on the table, the lights on. We have money in savings to fix the roof and patch the boiler. I don’t have any regrets about the way I live my life.” He met Hermione’s gaze head-on. “I won’t apologize for it.”

“So you’re not only a criminal but an unrepentant criminal.” Hiram frowned at Sweet Pea.

“Daddy!” Veronica was completely embarrassed by her parents’ rudeness.

Sweet Pea shrugged. “Being a man means doing whatever it takes to protect your family. This tattoo on my neck, that’s what it means to me. I don’t have any regrets.”

Hiram took a sip of his wine. “You know, it’s a good thing that you’re leaving for college in the fall. Unlike your friends, your days as a Serpent are numbered. There is no future on the Southside. Hermione and I, we both have roots there. We understand how difficult it must be to see the neighborhoods you love degenerate into crime and decay. The writing is on the wall. You’re lucky to have the opportunity to get out while you can.”

“It’s not that easy,” Sweet Pea explained. “The Serpents are my family, too. I’ll never stop being a Serpent, no matter what happens. Being a Serpent is for life.”

Hermione chuckled. “Not all Serpents feel that way.”

“Don’t spread gossip, _mi amor_ ,” Hiram said sharply. “You are better than that.”

Hermione rose to her feet. “Veronica, please help me clear the table. It’s time for the dessert course.”

In the kitchen, Veronica hissed at her mother. “Why are you and Daddy being so rude?”

“We’re just getting to know your new friend.” Hermione tilted her head. “Surely you don’t object to that?”

“You’re giving him the third degree!”

Hermione handed Veronica a platter of éclairs and cream puffs. “Patrick is handling it just fine; very well, in fact. I don’t think you need to protect him, _mija_. Now take this out to the dining room, please.”

After dessert, Sweet Pea stood up. “It’s time for me to go pick up my grandmother. Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Lodge.”

“Patrick, I’d like to invite you and your grandmother to join us for brunch this Sunday after Mass.” Hermione handed him her card. “Please ask her to call me tomorrow to discuss the details.”

Was her mother playing matchmaker for her? Veronica quickly dismissed the idea as ridiculous.

“Sure.” Sweet Pea turned to Veronica. “See you tomorrow at school, Veronica.”

After Sweet Pea left, Hiram poured himself a tumbler of whiskey. He poured another tumbler and handed it to Veronica. “Let’s have a little chat in my office.”

“Hiram, she’s not well. This can wait until tomorrow,” Hermione protested.

“We’ll be back in a few moments, my dear.”

Hiram took Veronica’s elbow, led her into his office and shut the door. He sat down behind his desk and Veronica sat in the chair facing it. “You have brought a very interesting young man into our home, _mija_.”

“He is.” Veronica was facing the portrait of her that her father had commissioned. Every time she saw it, it annoyed her. The artist had gotten her nose all wrong.

“Patrick shows a real strength of character. I think that once he’s decided that he wants something, he’s going to find a way to get it. I find that extremely admirable.”

“I’m surprised that you don’t hate him just for being a Serpent.”

“The Serpents have their uses.” He took a sip of whiskey. “And Archie, he doesn’t mind you keeping company with this other young man?”

If Archie knew Sweet Pea had eaten dinner with her parents, he’d flip his lid. “I’m not Archie’s property, Daddy. I can spend time with anyone I like.” She wasn’t going to let anyone tell her what to do, not even her boyfriend.

Hiram smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Of course. Surely Archie is much more...evolved than I would be in this situation.”

“Archie is a wonderful boyfriend. We’re very happy together.” There’d been a few bumps in the road, sure. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this hardline attitude about Jug and the Serpents. But overall, things were good.

“My question is, have you opened your heart to him?” Hiram raised one eyebrow. “Your mother and I do talk. I know that you were having some difficulty reciprocating his... confession of love.”

Veronica flushed. “I don’t feel comfortable discussing my private feelings with you, Daddy.”

He nodded his head. “I understand that. It’s entirely my fault, this coldness between us. I know that you and your mother have suffered for my mistakes. I am well aware that I must take time to rebuild those relationships. Repair the damage that I caused.”

“I know it’s hard for you to admit that you made a mistake,” said Veronica solemnly.

“No more difficult than it is for you to admit, perhaps, that your own choices have been flawed? That you, perhaps, want to move in a different direction?” He gave her a long, probing look.

“I don’t understand, Daddy.”

He leaned forward, his gaze intent. “Your mother and I have taken you into our confidence. You now know our plans for our family; our most closely held hopes and dreams. I want to know that your commitment hasn’t changed. That your loyalty is still to us.”

“Of course. Nothing has changed.”

“I am very happy to hear that.” He smiled at her. “Your eighteenth birthday is just around the corner, Veronica. You’ll be a legal adult at that point. As well as an equal partner in our family business."

“I’m excited about that, Daddy.” She was, very much.

He nodded. “Good. I’m glad we are all on the same page.”

Hiram opened the office door and they walked out. Hermione was standing outside, nervously twisting her pearls.

“I would like for the two of us to go have a nightcap at Fedora, my dear. Go get your mink coat.”

Hermione’s eyes flickered to Veronica’s face, then back to her husband’s. “Yes, Hiram. I just want to make sure Veronica will be fine without me?”

Veronica kissed her mother’s cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m going to go back to bed, _mami_. I’d like some more rest before tomorrow.”

“Sweet dreams.” Her mother caressed her hair.

Her father kissed her cheek. “Good night.” As she was walking away, he called her name. She turned to face him.

“One last thing. Watch your step with that Serpent. You’re used to playing games with boys. That one? He’s a man.”

****

The next morning, Veronica completely bombed a pop quiz in Chemistry. She scored nineteen percent out of a hundred. “Please see me after class” was written across the top in red ink.

“Fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” Veronica whispered.

“Did you flunk it?” asked Sweet Pea.

“Total crash and burn. How about you?”

Sweet Pea showed her his paper. He had received a perfect score, one hundred percent. Mr. Dorn had even drawn a smiley face next to the grade.

“You are Mr. Dorn’s wet dream,” moaned Veronica.

“I really hope not,” Sweet Pea replied, his voice deadpan. “I don’t swing that way.”

Veronica looked at her test paper. “My grade just slid from a D to an F. I’m so totally fucked.”

Sweet Pea took her paper and read through her answers. “I think I see what the problem is. We need to go back to the beginning, address the fundamentals.”

“I’m warning you, I’m really dense. Dilton Doiley was tutoring me and he actually fired me because he said I was too frustrating.” Veronica blushed. “I think he really meant that I’m too dumb.”

Sweet Pea patted her knee. “You’re not dumb; far from it. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you are.”

“Too late.” Veronica had always aced literature and history but struggled with math and science. Back in Manhattan, she’d cheated to get good grades. She knew it wasn’t right. She was trying to be a better Veronica here in Riverdale. But better Veronica’s grades were in the toilet.

“Don’t look so sad. I’m a very patient guy. I’m totally cool with it if you’re a slow learner.” He laughed. “After all, you’re paying me by the hour.”

“You’re totally in this for the money, aren’t you?”

Sweet Pea smiled at her. “What else would I be in it for?”

“Speaking of which.” Veronica reached into her purse, pulled out two crisp fifty-dollar bills, and handed them to him.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” He tucked the cash into the pocket of his jeans. “Do you want to meet with me again tomorrow for more tutoring?”

“If you are free after school tomorrow, that would be great.” The more help she could get the better.

“I will make myself available for you, dollface.” Sweet Pea smiled at her. “So it’s a date.”

After class, Veronica walked to the front of the classroom. Mr. Dorn looked up at her with a sad expression. “Miss Lodge, if I don’t see some significant improvement in your test scores you are in danger of failing this class for the semester.”

“Is there any extra credit that I could do to bring my grade up?” asked Veronica.

“Not enough to recover from the depths to which you have sunk.” The teacher frowned. “I suggested that you find a tutor months ago.”

“I did. It didn’t work out. But I’m meeting with Sweet Pea for tutoring now.”

“I suggest you take full advantage of his skills, Miss Lodge. If not, I am afraid that you will be seeing me again in summer school if you wish to graduate on time.”

****

At lunch, Veronica sat down at the table next to Betty and Jughead and showed them the chemistry quiz. ”I’m fucked.”

Jughead looked at her grade and whistled. “Maybe it is time to beg Dilton Doiley to give you another shot?”

“Thankfully, it won’t come to that.” Veronica ripped the lid off her yogurt container. “Sweet Pea agreed to tutor me. Hopefully he can save me from myself.”

Jughead laughed. “Hold the phone. Sweet Pea is tutoring you?”

“Yes. He offered to do it,” Veronica explained, not getting what the big deal was.

Jughead raised his eyebrows. “Really? That doesn’t seem like the sort of thing he would do. I mean, Sweet Pea is not really known for his kind and caring side.”

“He’s actually been really nice to me.”

“Maybe he likes you?” asked Jughead. “Does he know you’re taken?”

“I’m sure he’s not interested in me.” Veronica dismissed the idea. “I’m paying him fifty dollars an hour for tutoring.”

Betty nodded. “Okay, that clears up the motivation.”

Archie walked over, talking to Reggie. “Can’t sit with you today, Ronnie. We’ve got to talk over the schedule for wrestling tryouts.”

Veronica was disappointed. “Okay.”

He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll call you later.” He walked away without a backward glance.

“He’s avoiding me, not you,” reassured Jughead. “He’s being kind of dickhead about the Serpent situation.”

Betty frowned. “I didn’t know you two were fighting.”

Jughead shrugged. “It’ll blow over. We’ve been on the outs countless times since we were six. This is nothing new.”

“Hey gang.” Kevin sat down next to Veronica. “Aw, look how cute you guys are! So nice to see Bughead back together.”

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Veronica agreed, happy that her friends were happy.

Jughead leaned over and kissed Betty on the cheek. She smiled at him, her face beaming. It was great to see her genuinely smile again.

“So that Fangs guy,” Kevin asked. “He’s a tall drink of water. What’s the deal there? Straight, gay, bi, none of the above?”

“Straight,” Betty replied quickly. “His girlfriend’s named Melissa. She’s a senior. Serpent jacket; long hot pink hair."

“Oh, I’ve seen that girl.” Kevin sighed. “Major disappointment.”

“So, Kev,” Betty said. “Does your dad have any leads on the Southside bombing?”

Kevin shook his head. “I’m not supposed to talk about that.”

“Off the record?” asked Jughead. “Not for the _Blue and Gold_. Just between us.”

Kevin shot a look at Veronica.

“My lips are sealed, Kev,” Veronica assured him.

“Okay.” Kevin leaned forward and spoke quietly. “So, what took out Southside High wasn’t just a bomb. It was eight bombs. Pipe bombs.”

“Pipe bombs?” Jughead furrowed his brow.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah. All linked together to explode seconds apart. It was a massive chain reaction. Whoever set it up, knew what they were doing. Nothing unusual. Everything was sold at big box stores. Absolutely nothing that could be traced back. No trace evidence, no tool marks, nothing. The bomb task force is still investigating, but so far, they have nothing. Zip.”

“So the trail is cold?” asked Betty.

“Cold as Cheryl Blossom’s icy heart,” said Kevin.

****

After school at Pop’s, Betty and Veronica sat in a booth, drinking milkshakes. Betty’s eyes were sparkling. She was so animated that it made Veronica smile.

“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see you smiling again,” said Veronica. “I don’t understand why you two were apart in the first place.”

“Jughead wanted to protect me, take care of me,” Betty explained. “He was afraid that being around the Serpents would be dangerous for me.”

“I’m not an expert on the Serpents,” said Veronica, “but I know Jughead and he’s harmless. I’m just getting to know Sweet Pea but I like him a lot. I’m sure the other Serpents are good people, too.”

“I’m glad that you aren’t scared of the Serpents, V. That will make things a lot easier.” Betty licked her lips. “Look, there are some things that I just can’t share with you. I hate that there will have to be secrets between us. But I want to tell you what I can. Or show you.”

Betty flipped over her arm to show Veronica the Serpent tattoo on the inside of her wrist. It looked just like the one on Jughead’s shoulder: a double-headed snake with a tiny crown over its head.

“Holy crap!” Veronica grabbed her friend’s hand. “You got a freaking gang tattoo! That is some seriously ride or die shit, B.”

“It’s not just the tattoo. I am, officially, a member of the Southside Serpents.” Betty took a sip of her vanilla milkshake.

Veronica blinked. “What? When? Why?” Her sweet Betty Cooper was in a freaking gang? Alice Cooper was going to have a heart attack.

“I joined the Serpents before Christmas, technically. But there was a very bad situation going on then. That’s been resolved and last night FP asked me to come take the oath, get my tattoo and make it official. Apparently he and Jug argued about it for weeks but the deed is done. I’m a Serpent, signed, sealed and delivered.”

Veronica was floored. “But what does this mean? Do you get a motorcycle? A pair of brass knuckles? Your own jacket?”

Betty unbuckled her backpack and pulled out a black leather jacket. She flipped it around to show Veronica the Serpents logo and then put it back in her bag.

“Oh my God, you are officially so much cooler than me.”

“That’s not all. That’s not even the best part.” Betty’s face was absolutely glowing.

The girl had “I just got laid” face. Big time. “You and Jug finally did the deed, didn’t you?”

“We did. Last night. Shortly after I got my tattoo, actually.” Betty’s grin was huge.

“Holy shit, this is so exciting! I need all the details, girl. Spill!”

Betty blushed. “It was so great! Last night was the best night of my life. Just amazing.”

“Was it romantic?”

Betty tilted her head and repressed a giggle. “Not really? We sort of...got carried away in a storage room at the Whyte Wyrm. So, not very romantic. It was hot. And good. Holy smokes, so good. But I have a bruise on my butt the size of a basketball because he kind of...banged me into a wall. Repeatedly.”

Veronica laughed. “Oh my God. Are you serious?”

“What’s so funny?”

They both looked up. Archie was standing there in his varsity jacket.

“Nothing.” Betty blushed a deep red. “Just girl talk.”

Archie slid into the booth next to Veronica. “So, do you girls need help setting up the gym for the welcome dance?”

“I think we’ve got it covered,” said Betty. “Fangs and Toni volunteered to help on Friday after school. Josie and Midge, too.”

“Plus Kevin,” Veronica added. “I think we’re pretty much set.”

“Jug is coming to help me, too,” Betty said with a smile.

Archie raised one eyebrow. “So you guys are back on at the moment?”

“No, we’re back on for good, Archie. We’re absolutely committed to each other.” Betty’s voice was deadly serious.

Archie frowned. “You know I love him like a brother, Betty, but I think that you’re better off apart. The Serpents are a really bad element. Hanging around any of them, even Jug, could put you in danger.”

Betty glared at Archie. “I faced off against a serial killer, Arch. I’m pretty sure I can handle Jug and the Serpents.”

“Well, if you won’t listen to reason, at least my girlfriend will.” Archie put his arm around Veronica. “Ronnie, you don’t need that Serpent guy to tutor you in Chem anymore. I spoke with Dilton and he’s happy to help.”

Veronica looked at him in shock, appalled that he would think he could make changes in her life like that. “Sweet Pea is an amazing tutor. I’m not interested in replacing him.”

“Well, I don’t want you spending time with any of the Serpents. Now you don’t have a reason to.” Archie took a sip of her milkshake.

“Archie, let me be very clear. I’m going to be spending time with the Serpents. I’ll keep meeting with Sweet Pea because it’s what I want to do. And like it or not, Jughead is a Serpent.” So was Betty. Veronica hesitated, uncertain whether Betty’s news, any of it, was public knowledge.

“I’m a Serpent, too, now.” Betty held up her wrist, displaying her tattoo.

“Is that some kind of a joke?” Archie asked. “Because it’s not funny.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Betty snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

“Why would you do something like that?” Archie raised his voice. “What the hell is wrong with you, Betty?”

“Archie!” Veronica was appalled. “Just calm down.”

Instead, Archie picked up Betty’s milkshake and whipped it across the room. The glass slammed into the wall and ice cream streamed down the ceramic tiles.

“Hey!” Pop Tate yelled sharply.

“This is a fucking nightmare.” Archie slid out of the booth and stormed out of the diner.

“I’m so sorry, Betts.” Veronica scrambled in her purse and pulled out a twenty, placing it on the table. “I need to go after him. I’ll call you.”

Archie was in the parking lot, pulling open the door to his dad’s truck. Veronica ran over to try to catch him.

A battered old station wagon pulled into the spot next to them. Veronica recognized Fangs behind the wheel. Jughead, Toni and Sweet Pea piled out. Great fucking timing.

Veronica grabbed Archie’s shoulder. “Archie, come home with me. Let’s talk things out.” Veronica did not want to have this conversation right there, right now.

Archie’s back was to the Serpents and he didn’t see them. “I’m not interested in having a discussion!” He shrugged off her touch. “All I want to know is, are you on the side of that Southside scum or are you on my side?”

“So, I’m scum now?” asked Jughead. “Nice, Archie.”

Archie turned around to see his best friend and the other Serpents.

Veronica wanted to defuse this situation. “No, Jug, of course not. Archie’s just a little upset about Betty’s news.”

Jughead raised his eyebrows. “Oh. I see. Now you have a problem with me having sex with my own girlfriend?”

“What?” Archie’s control, what was left of it, snapped.

“Not that news,” Veronica said sharply. “That she’s a Serpent!”

“You slept with Betty?” Archie turned towards Jughead.

Jughead crossed his arms across his chest. “Not that it’s any of your business, Arch, but yeah.”

Archie shoved him, hard, and Jughead stumbled.

Veronica gasped. “What the hell, Archie!”

Betty ran down the steps of Pop’s. “Archie! No!”

Sweet Pea took a step forward, his fist clenched. Veronica stepped in front of him and put her hands on his chest. “No. Please, no.” She couldn’t handle another fight.

“Get your goddamned hands off of him, Veronica,” Archie snapped.

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Sweet Pea’s voice was low and angry. He stepped around Veronica and held her back with one arm. He was trying to protect her from Archie.

“Don’t you fucking tell me how to talk to my own girlfriend!” Archie’s face was bright red. Veronica had never seen him lose it like this.

“Archie, you need to go.” Betty shoved herself in between Jughead and Archie. “Go home. Cool off. Don’t say anything you’ll regret.”

“How could you do this?” Archie snapped at Betty. “What the hell has gotten into you?”

Veronica stepped around Sweet Pea. “Archie, stop. Please.”

Sweet Pea grabbed her wrist and held her gently. “Stay with me, Veronica. Let him cool down. I don’t like the look in his eyes.”

“Get your ass over here, Veronica!” Archie snapped. “We’re leaving.”

Veronica’s face burned. He’d never, ever spoken to her like that. “I’m not going with you right now. I’ll talk to you later when you’ve calmed down.”

“Come with right me now or we’re done.” She could tell he meant it. He couldn’t seriously be ready to dump her in a parking lot over a stupid disagreement?

“No,” said Veronica. She loved Archie, but she had more respect for herself than that.

In reply, Archie got in his truck and slammed the door hard. With a squeal of tires, he peeled out of the parking lot.

Veronica was stunned. What the hell had just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
> 
> Enjoy the soundtrack on Spotify at:  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/kfozj5yiiap68fl6fkuqma2uq/playlist/6tqOhBgHAjSmbGiAi4nMLP
> 
> Look for deleted scenes and other entertaining nonsense on my Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ficmuse


	3. High

That afternoon, Veronica carried her phone everywhere and checked it over and over. The breakup didn’t seem real. How was it possible that just weeks after she had told Archie she loved him, he’d broken things off?

Veronica couldn’t bring herself to believe it. So she told her mother she was going to the library to study. Instead, she found herself standing in front of Archie’s house just as sunset began, waiting for something- for anything- to happen. All she wanted was for him to come out, take her in his arms and hold her like he used to. She wanted to see the Archie she had thought she loved, not the furious guy who had been so cruel that afternoon.

But the sun went down and as the streetlights came on, nothing happened. Archie wasn’t going to sweep her up in his strong arms and apologize. He would never apologize. Everything he’d done showed her, over and over, that he thought that she was wrong and he was right.

Veronica could not bring herself to ring his doorbell and apologize for something she hadn’t done wrong. She wouldn’t promise to stay away from people she cared about. Her relationship with Betty was as important to her, if not more, than her relationship with Archie. No...she suddenly realized, their friendship meant more. If she had to pick a side, she would choose Betty.

Veronica still wasn’t exactly sure what love was, but she was certain it didn’t involve compromising who you were. And it wasn’t about ultimatums. Clearly, she wasn’t the person that Archie wanted and she refused to change herself just to keep him. He’d been horrible to her and to Betty and Jughead. He’d allied himself with Reggie and Cheryl and everyone else who represented the very worst parts of the Northside.

With that resolved, Veronica made her decision. She reached up, unfastened the locket that Archie had given her for Christmas, and hung it from the doorknob. She was done with Archie Andrews.

Veronica walked next door to the Cooper’s house and rang the doorbell.

Betty answered it. “Hey V.” She wrapped her in a deep hug. “How are you holding up?”

“Not great,” Veronica said honestly.

“Come in and let’s talk about it.”

Upstairs in Betty’s room, they sat cross-legged on Betty’s bed and talked things out.

Veronica sighed. “I’ve decided things are over with Archie. I mean, he said it was over. I thought it through. I’m not going to try to fight for us this time. I’m just letting go.”

“I hate to say it, but I think that’s the right choice. He was just horrible to you today. You shouldn’t put up with that.” Betty rubbed Veronica’s shoulder sympathetically.

“I feel like I should cry. But I don’t feel sad, exactly. I just feel kind of empty.”

“I wish I could make you feel better.” Betty frowned. “I don’t understand what’s going on with Archie. When his dad got shot, he just went off the rails. He immediately assumed it was someone from the Southside. Then he started up with that Red Circle thing. He was so furious and demanding today with you and with me. I’ve known him all my life, V, and this is just not the person that I know.”

“Archie is obviously going through some sort of personal crisis. Am I an asshole for not trying to help him through this?” She turned to her friend, looking for assurance.

Betty shook her head. “No. How Archie acted today was unacceptable. He was disrespectful to Jug, you, and me. I don’t want someone in my life that is going to treat me that way. You deserve better too, Veronica.”

The bedroom door opened. It was Jughead, wearing his Serpent jacket and beanie. “Oh, hey, Veronica. You doing okay?” He gave her an awkward one-armed hug. Jug was not great with physical affection, except with Betty.

“I’m fine. Betty and I were just talking and I honestly think I’m better off without Archie in my life.”

Jughead sighed. “Look, I love Archie. He’s my brother. I honestly don’t understand what is going on in his head right now. Other than being jealous as hell.”

“But I haven’t given him any reason to be jealous.” Veronica was confused. “I’ve been one hundred percent loyal to him, since the minute we got together.”

“I know you have, no question.” Jughead put a hand on his head and adjusted his beanie. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. You’re the innocent one in this mess.”

Veronica knew what Jughead was getting at. The last thing she wanted to rehash was Jug kissing Toni and Betty kissing Archie. Everyone involved had expressed regret over those stupid decisions. The fact that she hadn’t kissed anyone else since she had begun dating Archie was moot; her relationship was toast anyway.

Veronica stood up and put her shoes on. “I’m going to head home. I think I’ll watch _Love Actually_ and eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Chunky Monkey seems like a good flavor for wallowing in regret.”

“You could come with us to the poetry slam instead,” Jughead offered. “I mean, your plan sounds fun too. Don’t get me wrong.”

Veronica shook her head. “I don’t want to third wheel on your date, Jug.”

“It’s not a romantic evening,” Betty explained. “We’re picking up Toni and meeting Fangs there.”

After thinking about it for a moment, Veronica decided that it sounded much better than her original plan so she nodded. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

And with that, the three of them headed down to the Southside.

_*****_

That night was an evening of firsts. Veronica had never been to this part of the Southside before; she’d never been to a poetry slam and she’d never tried absinthe before. It was a night she’d never forget.

Jughead had parked his dad’s truck around the corner from the bar where the poetry slam was happening. It was called Exquisite Corpse, she learned, and they were in Ghoulie territory.

“The bar is owned by Malachai,” Toni explained to her as they walked toward the bar. “But poetry slam night is a truce fire. Everyone goes: Serpents and Ghoulies. It’s just a Southside thing.”

They stood in a long line that snaked around a big warehouse near the Sweetwater River. Veronica shivered. The wind had picked up and it was really cold outside. Betty popped the collar of her Serpent leather jacket. Veronica was envious; her friend looked like a total badass.

“There’s a five buck cover charge for you. It’s free for us with our jackets,” Toni explained.

At the door, a pale guy dressed in a velvet coat and a top hat took her money. He had a blue ghost tattooed on his right cheek. “Any weapons?” he asked her.

“No.”

“Walk through.” He gestured at a metal detector.

Veronica walked through it and waited for the rest of her group to come through. She was standing in front of an entire wall of small metal lockers. They were all banged up and battered. There was another Ghoulie in the corner leaning against the walls, arms crossed, dressed in green velvet and lace and looking bored as hell.

Veronica watched as Toni emptied her pockets into a plastic tray. She carried a black thing in her pocket that looked kind of like an umbrella. “What is that?” she asked.

“It’s a baton,” Toni replied.

“What’s that for?”

“Fucking someone up really bad.”

Jughead had nothing in his pockets. Betty pulled a switchblade and a set of brass knuckles out of her bag and placed them in Toni’s tray.

Veronica was shocked. “Damn girl. I was joking about the brass knuckles.”

Betty smiled. “Initiation presents.”

The Ghoulie in green velvet took the plastic tray of weapons and put them into one of the lockers. He closed it and handed Jughead a key. “Enjoy your evening.”

Jughead put his arm around Betty and guided them through the crowd. The place was large. The walls were jammed full of things to see. Veronica saw paintings on canvas, a Union Jack, a portrait of Oscar Wilde next to one of Lord Byron, and layers upon layers of printed fliers. There were ghosts everywhere: in the art, as graffiti on the walls, even as fabric ghosts suspended from the ceiling, twisting on wires. The floors were black and white tile, cracked and worn from years of use.

There was a large stage set up in the back. There were several rows of tables in front of it, a railing, and then a crowd of people standing up. The bar was absolutely jammed with people and every table was full.

Fangs stood up at a table in the front and waved at them. Veronica waved back. They weaved through the crowd and around the railing and sat down at the small black cafe table. There was a lit candle on the table in a frosted glass votive shaped like a skull.

“How did you manage to score a table?” Veronica asked.

Betty held up a card on the table. “Reserved for Jones Party” was written across it in calligraphy.

“Nice,” Veronica said approvingly. Jughead, she was reminded, was a big deal on the Southside. The sarcastic loner kid she’d first met, bullied and beat up, was long gone. When he’d put on the Serpent jacket, he’d become someone else. Archie had said Jughead was dangerous; Veronica didn’t buy it. What she did notice was his newfound confidence. He walked with his shoulders back; he looked you in the eye and he did, indeed, put forth the vibe that you wouldn’t want to mess with him.

A waitress moved through the crowd and stopped in front of them. She was a very pale girl with long jet-black hair. She wore a black leather corset that emphasized her bust. A large ghost tattoo was inked right at the top of her cleavage. It was quite a look.

She set down an elaborate silver tray on the table. It held a crystal decanter filled with green liquid; a similar pitcher of water; a bowl of sugar cubes; a large, ornate silver spoon, a small ice bucket and four tall stemmed glasses.

“A gift from Malachi in honor of the Serpents,” announced the server.

“What is all this stuff?” Jughead peered at the silver tray.

“Absinthe,” Toni explained. “The Ghoulie beverage of choice.”

The server prepared the drink for them. It was an intricate process, using everything on the tray to precisely mix each glass. Veronica watched as the server placed two cubes of sugar in the spoon and set it on top of one of the glasses. Water was poured over the sugar cubes and into the absinthe in the bottom of the glass. The sugar dissolved and the liquid in the glass turned a cloudy green.

“It’s too bad that Sweet Pea isn’t here,” Veronica observed. “It’s like a chemistry experiment.”

“He was going to try to come after his grandmother was settled in for the night,” said Toni.

Veronica smiled. She hoped he would show up. It would make the outing even more fun to have him here.

The server finished preparing the drinks. The four tall crystal glasses were now filled with green liquid.

“Thank you.” Veronica handed the girl a folded bill for her tip.

“I’m not drinking that.” Jughead picked up a glass and peered at it. “There’s no way I’m drinking that.”

“We know, no booze for you. You’re so straight edge,” Toni mocked.

Fangs laughed. “Not quite.”

Betty took the glass from Jughead and sniffed it. “It smells bitter."

“It doesn’t taste bitter,” Toni explained. “It tastes like licorice.”

“I think it tastes kind of like Nyquil,” said Fangs. “But in a good way."

“How strong is it?” asked Veronica.

“Each glass is like two shots of liquor,” Toni explained. “Two glasses of absinthe and I’m feeling no pain.”

“I’m not going to drink the whole thing,” Betty said decidedly. “Just a little.”

“I’m your designated driver.” Jughead tilted up her chin and kissed her. “Have fun and I’ll make sure you all get home safe.”

Veronica picked up her glass and took a sip. She liked it a lot. It had a sweet, licorice flavor with a bite of bitterness at the end.

“Salutations to the serpent prince and his courtiers.” A dark-haired guy in a studded leather jacket pulled up a chair next to Veronica. She recognized him: Malachai, the leader of the Ghoulies.

“Thank you for the drinks, Malachai. We appreciate your hospitality.” Jughead tilted his head. “Of course, you would be treated with equal respect at the Whyte Wyrm.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Malachai turned to Veronica. “Have you tasted the green fairy before, my dear?”

“No, this is my first time,” Veronica replied. “It has a very distinctive flavor.”

His eyes narrowed. “I recognize you.” He gestured at Betty. “You and the blonde. We’ve met before, at my club.”

“Malachai, this is my girlfriend, Betty,” Jughead said.

Betty waved at him.

“You are speaking with her best friend, Veronica Lodge.”

“Daughter of Hiram Lodge?” Malachai lifted her hand and kissed it. “My darling, you are certainly slumming.”

“Not at all.” Veronica smiled at him. “I’m with good friends looking forward to a fun night out.”

“Well, let’s drink to that,” said Toni. “Welcome to the Southside, Veronica Lodge.”

Betty, Veronica, Toni and Fangs raised their glasses in a toast and drank. Veronica felt warm inside as the alcohol flowed through her.

“This absinthe is fantastic,” said Toni.

“I have a wizard in my employ. This blend is made just for me.” Malachai looked quite proud of this fact.

Veronica suppressed a laugh. The leader of the Ghoulies took himself way too seriously.

There was a small cheer as a woman in a long velvet gown took the stage.

“I will leave you to your entertainment.” Malachai took Veronica’s hand again and kissed the back of it. Apparently it was his thing. “You know, my darling, you have an immortal face. It should be beloved for centuries.” She felt him press something into her hand just before he got up and headed into the crowd.

Veronica leaned over and showed Toni. “Malachai gave me this.” It was a large green vial filled with white powder. It was taped to a light purple card. It had Malachai’s name and a cell phone number on it.

“I do believe that the leader of the Ghoulies wants to get in your pants,” said Toni.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Veronica shook her head and placed the vial in her purse. “Malachai is hot, but his creepy Dracula wannabe vibe is killing any lady boner I would otherwise have.”

Toni laughed. “A lot of girls find him irresistible. He takes advantage of it, too. He’s already banged every girl in the Southside. You’re fresh meat.”

“Have you banged him?” asked Veronica. “You’re a Southside girl.”

Toni took a slug of her absinthe. “Yeah, I took a ride on Malachai. Practice makes perfect; he’s good in the sack. To be honest, his junk’s a little on the small side, but he got the job done just fine.”

“Not all guys have a big dick,” Fangs leaned forward. “It ain’t the meat, ladies. It’s the motion.” He moved his hand back and forth, pumping away.

“Hey, the best sex I ever had was with a guy who had a tiny dick,” Veronica proclaimed. “But he had the biggest tongue I have ever seen. Fucking amazing, man.”

Betty leaned forward, a big smile on her face. “That’s so funny because-“

Jughead put his hand over her mouth. “If you participate in this conversation, Betty, I will die of embarrassment.”

She moved his hand away from her mouth and kissed it. “I would only say good things, Juggie.”

He looked at her with such sweetness on his face and then kissed her.

“God, you guys are so disgustingly in love.” Veronica finished her drink. "I want a guy who looks at me like that.”

“I look at Melissa like that,” said Fangs.

“He really does,” Ton confirmed. “You guys are just as bad as Jughead and his girl. Maybe worse.”

The first performer began and they all quieted down. It was a very earnest young man with small round glasses. He wore an elaborate velvet coat with lace cuffs. His poem was a throwback, too. It reminded Veronica of some poems she’d read by Byron.

The next one was totally different. It was more like a rap; people in the audience clapped along with a beat. Veronica had a nice buzz going now, from the absinthe. She was, in fact, having a great time.

There was a break between acts and Toni stood up.

“I’m headed to the bar.” Toni stood up. “Anyone else want something?”

Veronica decided she could use another drink. “I’ll come with.” She followed Toni to the bar. “I have my fake ID.”

“No one gives a shit down here, honey.”

“Oh.”

Toni pushed through a clump of guys in Serpent jackets. “Move your asses.” They got out of her way.

When they reached the bar, they waited to order.

“So what do you think, uptown?” asked Toni. “I’m sure you’re used to much classier entertainment.”

“This is great, actually.” Veronica looked around at the crowd of interesting looking people, dressed in velvet and leather, laughing and having a good time. “I’m really glad that I came tonight.”

The line moved quickly and Veronica reached the bar. “Cuba Libre, please.”

The bartender laughed at her. “You’re in the Southside, babe. It’s just a fucking rum and coke down here.”

“I’ll take a whiskey sour,” said Toni.

Veronica watched the bartender pour her drink. She didn’t drink alcohol unless she watched it poured in front of her. Better safe than sorry, with perverts like Nick St. Claire out there.

“Drinks are on the house,” said the bartender. Malachai was on the other side of the bar. He raised his glass in a toast.

“That one’s making a hard play for you,” murmured Toni in Veronica’s ear.

Veronica followed her back to the table. She raised her drink high, trying to avoid elbows. Being short was a pain in the ass.

“Malachai is hot. Maybe I should take him up on it. Perhaps what I need right now is just a Southside fuck buddy.” They reached the table and sat down.

“If you’re looking for a fuck buddy,” said Fangs, “I know a guy who would be very happy to take you on.”

“You don’t want a fuck buddy.” Betty shook her head. “I know you, V. You want someone to make you feel special and cared about and loved.” Betty was buzzed; all her words were slightly fuzzy around the edges.

“Love, in my opinion, is overrated.” Veronica took a sip of her drink. “Maybe I just want someone who’s going to give me lots of fun orgasms. I mean, I want to have fun up against the wall sex, too. It’s been a rough week. Broken nose. Getting dumped in the parking lot of Pop’s. A few orgasms would be very nice right now.”

Toni laughed. “Get it, girl. The bar is full of hot guys in leather jackets.”

The hottest of them all, sadly, was not here. Sweet Pea, Veronica thought, looked mighty fine in his Serpent jacket. “Leather is so sexy.” She looked around the bar. Toni had said he might show up.

“Veronica, you are hammered,” Jughead said. “We’re not letting you go off with anybody tonight. I’m delivering you back home just after midnight, like a very elegant pumpkin.”

The poetry slam resumed. A girl in a Serpent jacket read a long, sad poem reminiscent of Plath and Sexton. It was painfully beautiful. As the poem ended, Veronica sniffed, blinking away her tears.

“Why so sad?” Veronica looked up. It was Sweet Pea, smiling down at her.

“You missed the most beautiful poem.” She sniffled again. “It was like an amazing word garden. Like a bouquet of flowers made of letters.” The words weren’t coming out exactly as she intended.

Sweet Pea grinned and looked over at Toni. “She’s fucking wasted, isn’t she?”

“Nobody’s wasted,” Toni said carefully. “Everyone has a purpose.”

“I’m the only sober person at the table,” laughed Jughead. “They’re all drunk on absinthe.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Veronica reached up and grabbed Sweet Pea’s hand. “Did you know, of all the hot guys in leather jackets in this bar, you’re my very favorite one?”

He chuckled. “Thank you, baby doll.”

“I mean it. You are very, very pretty.”

“You’re so hammered.” Sweet Pea bent over, picked up Veronica in his arms and sat down in her chair. He held her on his lap, enfolded in his arms.

“Sweet Pea is a giant,” Veronica announced to the table. “He could crush me with his enormous man hands.”

“I would never do that,” Sweet Pea assured her and she smiled contentedly, holding his hands in hers.

“She’s wasted and newly dumped,” Jughead said warningly. “Don’t get any ideas, Sweet Pea.”

“I know how to be a gentleman,” Sweet Pea replied with a friendly glare.

“No you don’t,” said Fangs. Sweet Pea flicked him off and Fangs laughed.

“Sometimes girls don’t want a gentleman,” Veronica explained. “Sometimes you just want a guy to bang you up against a wall.”

Sweet Pea looked down at her, surprise evident on his face. “Oh really now?”

“But you might get a big bruise the size of a cantaloupe on your ass,” Veronica noted.

“From the banging into the wall?” asked Sweet Pea, his eyebrow quirked in amusement.

“It’s worth it.” Betty nodded, a smile on her face. “Totally.”

“Jesus Christ, Betts.” Jughead rubbed his face with his hand.

Veronica leaned back against Sweet Pea’s chest. “You’re an excellent chair.”

“You can sit on me whenever you want,” murmured Sweet Pea.

The next poem began. This one was another Byron inspired one, delivered by an emo looking guy in a velvet jacket. Velvet, it seemed, was a big deal if you were a Ghoulie.

A round of applause signaled the end of the recitation.

“You’re up, Fangs.” Toni clapped him on the shoulder.

“I probably shouldn’t have had the absinthe.” Fangs got up and slightly unsteadily made his way to the stage.

“Yay Fangs!” Veronica cheered. “Whooooo!”

Betty clapped loudly and cheered too. “Whoooooo!”

Sweet Pea laughed. “Drunk girls are the best.”

Fangs recited his poem. It was very macho. About cars and engines, speed and power. At the same time, Veronica found it fantastically moving. He was very well received; the crowd gave him a generous amount of applause.

Finally, the poetry slam came to an end. The crowd began heading out of the bar. Sweet Pea helped Veronica to her feet. “I hope you had a fun time tonight.”

“It was really amazing. I like poetry slam night. I’m glad you came. We should come again next week.”

“If you want to come again, I would love to bring you.”

“Time to head home, kids.” Jughead pulled his keys out of his pocket. Betty was nuzzling his neck, her hand inside his jacket.

“Why don’t I drop everyone off?” Sweet Pea suggested. “You and Betty can just head out.”

“You okay with that Veronica?” questioned Jughead, making sure to have her attention.

“Sure. Sweet Pea will take care of me.” Veronica had no problem with this plan.

“He better,” said Betty, “or I’ll kick his ass.”

“Can I get a ride too?” asked Fangs.

“Sure,” Sweet Pea agreed.

After a stop at the weapons locker, they all walked out of the bar together and down the street. Jughead and Betty turned away towards his car, holding hands. Betty turned back and waved over her shoulder at Veronica.

“My car is down another block,” Sweet Pea pointed out.

Veronica took an unsteady step on the sidewalk and stumbled in her very high heels. Toni caught her arm. “Shit, girl. You’re gonna fall on your ass.”

Sweet Pea put his arm around Veronica’s waist. “Be careful.”

She tripped again and nearly face planted.

“Enough of that.” Sweet Pea picked her up in his arms. He cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

“I can walk by myself,” Veronica complained, smacking his shoulder as he laughed.

“You’re going to twist your ankle and wind up in the gutter,” replied Toni.

“I’ve been walking all by myself for many, many years,” Veronica said with a playful pout.

“You are going to be hung-over in the morning,” said Fangs. “You are so fucking drunk.”

“I won’t get hung over; I have a system. All I have to do is take two Tylenol and drink a bottle of Perrier before bed,” said Veronica. “I never have a hangover. It’s like magic.”

“I think the best hangover cure is a Bloody Mary with Tabasco in it,” Toni offered. “The hotter, the better.”

“I haven’t tried that one,” giggled Veronica.

“My mom swears by Alka-Seltzer,” said Fangs. “Works for me.”

They reached the parking lot. Sweet Pea unlocked his car: a huge, neon green car from the 1980s. The chrome shined in the light from the streetlamp. “Your car is gorgeous.” Veronica loved it.

“Thanks. It is my pride and joy.” Sweet Pea grinned at her. “It was my dad’s. He rebuilt this thing from the ground up.”

“You’ve got to show Betty this car. She’ll go nuts. The girl is a total gearhead.”

“So I’ve heard.” Sweet Pea opened the door to the passenger side and flipped the seat forward. Toni and Fangs climbed in the back. Sweet Pea helped Veronica into the front seat and closed the door for her.

Sweet Pea turned the key and the car sprang to life with a heavy rumble. “I love the sound this car makes,” said Veronica, gently running her hand over the dash.

“Tone, where do you want me to drop you off?” Sweet Pea asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror.

“The Whyte Wyrm,” answered Toni. “I’ll just crash on the couch in FP’s office.”

“You want to take the guest room at my grandma’s place?” Sweet Pea offered.

“Nah, the bar is fine.”

After Sweet Pea dropped off Toni and Fangs, he asked for directions to Veronica’s house. She leaned against his shoulder and told him which way to go. He put his arm around her; he was warm and strong and comfy.

“You have super nice arms.” He was very nice to snuggle against.

He chuckled. “Thank you, Veronica.”

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Pembrooke. Veronica punched in the code at the gate to the underground parking garage below the building. “It’s 0120. My birthday,” she explained.

“Your birthday is coming up soon,” Sweet Pea noted. He drove through the gate as Veronica gave him instructions and they pulled into her empty reserved parking space.

“I have my own spot but no car yet,” Veronica explained with a yawn. “I keep failing my driving test. I’m stupid at both driving and chemistry.”

“You’re not stupid at all. I can help you with both if you want.” Sweet Pea walked around the passenger side and lifted Veronica out before she could insist that she could walk on her own. “So how do we get to your apartment from here?”

She pointed. “Private elevator. Just punch in the same code, hit the penthouse button. That’s me.”

He carried her into the elevator, into her private lobby and stood in front of her front door. “Do you have your keys?”

She handed him her Birkin bag. “In there somewhere?”

Momentarily setting her down, Sweet Pea rummaged through her bag and pulled out the vial and Malachai’s card. “What the hell?” He looked down at her, his brow furrowed.

“The Ghoulie vampire guy wants to bang me,” said Veronica simply. “I’m not into him, though.”

“Good.” He dropped the vial back into the purse, took out her keys and opened the door. “Are your parents home?”

“Uh huh.”

He sighed. “Your dad have a gun in the house?”

“A couple.”

“Fucking fantastic.”

He picked her back up and quietly walked through the apartment. “Which way to your bedroom?”

“Third door on the left.”

He opened the door and turned on her light. Carefully, he set her down on her bed.

“Can you please bring me a Perrier from my mini fridge and Tylenol from my bathroom?”

He obligingly retrieved the things for her and by the time he returned, she was sprawled on her bed. “I’m really drunk, Patrick.”

“Let me help you, Veronica.”  He sat next to her on the bed and handed her the Tylenol.

She leaned against his chest, took her pills and drank her Perrier. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him.

“Thank you for bringing me home.” He was so nice.

He kissed her forehead. “Of course, doll.”

“Why do you call me doll?” she asked, looking up at him curiously.

“Because you are very tiny and very beautiful,” he said softly. “Drink your fancy water so you can feel better in the morning.”

She rested her head against him and drank the water. He ran his hand along her arm, stroking her skin. When the bottle was empty, he took it from her hand and set it on her bedside table.

Veronica picked up one of his hands. “Your hands are so much bigger than mine.” She lined up their hands so that their palms touched at the bottom. He had very long fingers.

“I’m a big guy and you are a very petite woman.”

“I am! Did you know I wear a size five shoe? It’s really annoying because most designer shoes start at a six.”

He chuckled. “Is that a serious problem in your life?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. It’s very annoying.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I have shoe problems too. I have very big feet; size fourteen. Most stores don’t have shoes that fit me so I have to order them online.”

She reached over and patted his crotch. “I bet you’re very well endowed. Because you have big hands and big feet, so I bet you have a big dick, too. You do, don’t you?”

He covered his face with his hand and laughed. “Christ almighty, Veronica.”

“I’m sorry. I know that’s inappropriate.” She did, but it didn’t matter. “Don’t be mad. I seem to be having poor impulse control.”

He smiled at her. “Uh, yeah. I can tell. You are going to be very embarrassed when you remember this conversation tomorrow. If you remember it at all.”

She reached up her fingers and touched the tattoo on his neck. “I dreamed about you last night.”

His smiled faded. His eyes were dark and deep. “Did you now?”

“Your tattoo was moving,” she explained. “And I touched it and it bit me.”

“You can touch it if you want to.” He took her hand in his and raised her fingers to his neck. “I promise nothing will bite you. Not unless you ask.”

She traced the outline of the snake with her fingertips, over and over. The tattoo was gorgeous and so was he. “Patrick. Do you know how beautiful you are?”

His breathing changed; became louder and more ragged. “It’s time for me to go home, Veronica.”

“You smell like limes.” She pressed a gentle kiss against his throat.

“I’m pretty sure that’s my shaving cream.” His hand tightened in her hair.

“I want to see if you taste like limes, too.” She ran her tongue across his tattoo. He tasted good; salty and smooth against her tongue.

Sweet Pea took a deep, shuddering breath. “Veronica.”

“You taste yummy. You would pair well with tequila.” She’d like to find out. “I think my dad has some Cuervo in his bar.”

He inhaled sharply and stood up. “Go to sleep, Veronica. You definitely don’t need any tequila.”

He turned off the light and shut her door.

Veronica closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Thank you to those who have taken time to tell me that you're enjoying the story!


	4. Are You Gonna Be My Girl

When her alarm went off the next morning, Veronica felt like she was going to die. Her head felt incredibly fragile, as if it would fall off if she moved too fast. Her mouth tasted like it was stuffed with cotton balls. It was so gross.

The previous night came back to her: the poetry slam; Malachai the Ghoulie; and Fangs reciting his poem. And right here, in her bedroom, she’d asked Sweet Pea how big his dick was...and put her hand on his crotch. Veronica put her hands over her face and groaned. Oh God. He must think she was a drunken trollop.

She took a long, hot shower and dressed carefully. When you looked like crap and felt like crap, sometimes a good outfit helped perk you up. Today, it didn’t help.

She carefully applied makeup, making sure to conceal the fading bruises from her fractured nose. Her reflection still showed a tired looking, sallow face. She added more highlighter and blush to pep up her complexion and her favorite deep wine lipstick as a finishing touch. When she was done, she actually looked great. You’d never know she felt like a sack of garbage.

Her parents were both at the breakfast table. That was unusual. Veronica knew something was up.

Her mother handed her a glass of tomato juice and two Tylenol. “I’m sure you need this for your headache.” Her voice dripped with disapproval.

“Thank you. I’m so hung-over.” There was no use trying to hide it; she was barely functional. She sat down at the table, very carefully.

“We suspected as much, _querida_.” Her father pursed his lips. “Do you know what time you came home last night?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.” Veronica swallowed her pills with a swig of juice. Her stomach churned. Food was going to be tricky this morning.

“We heard you come home at twelve-thirty. As you know, that is half an hour past curfew. We know you had Archie with you because we heard him speaking to you.” Her father’s voice was hard and accusatory.

“I wasn’t with Archie. We broke up yesterday. Sweet Pea brought me home.” How was she going to face him today? She’d made a complete ass out of herself the night before.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “You broke up with Archie?”

Veronica put some fruit salad on a plate and began to eat it. Honeydew melon was fine; cantaloupe made her want to gag. “He broke up with me, actually.”

“Oh, _mija_. I’m so sorry.” Hermione patted her shoulder.

“I’m sorry too.” Veronica was still very hurt by how things had ended. It seemed surreal, that they really were done now.

“Are you sure that your relationship with Archie is over?” Her father leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Perhaps you’ll reconcile again?”

“Not this time. Honestly, his behavior was inexcusable. I’m not going to take him back after what he did.” Veronica shook her head. Bad move; her head hurt. “Daddy, can you please make me a _café con leche_?”

“Of course, princess.” Hiram quickly fixed her a mug just the way she liked it and handed it to her.

“Would you like to talk about the breakup?” asked Hermione, gently. “I’m sure you’re very upset.”

“I was, right after it happened,” said Veronica thoughtfully. “But the more I think about it, the angrier I am. Archie is a grade A ass and I’m better off without him. So no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“So, you broke up with Archie, but Patrick brought you home?” Hiram probed.

“Yes. I owe Sweet Pea a big thank you. I got completely wasted last night and he basically babysat me the entire time. He made sure I didn’t fall down, brought me home. He was a complete angel.”

Hermione and Hiram exchanged a glance.

“Well, I just want to remind you, princess, that you have a midnight curfew.” Her father took a sip of juice. “If you break it again, there will be consequences.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I won’t let it happen again,” replied Veronica dutifully. ”I do want to go to the poetry slam again next week. It was a lot of fun. But I’ll leave before midnight and make sure I get home in time.”

“What is a poetry slam?” asked Hermione, taking a sip of her own coffee.

“It’s like an open mic night for poets,” Veronica explained. “People performing their work. Some are more like raps, actually. Some are more traditional poems. Other poets used props and it was almost like a theatrical performance. It was amazing. Apparently it’s a big thing on the Southside. Everyone was there at the bar.”

“I don’t think spending time in a Southside bar is a good idea,” Hermione said, her mouth turning down in a slight frown.

“It’s totally fine. I was with Betty and Jughead and their friends.” Veronica took a deep sip of coffee. God, that was delicious. She began to feel somewhat human again. “Honestly, I felt just as safe there as I do in a booth at Pop’s. There was nothing dangerous about where I was.”

“We’ll discuss this later, _mija,_ ” Hiram told her. “It’s time for you to get to school.”

****

When Veronica arrived at school, Sweet Pea was leaning against her locker. Her stomach flipped when she saw him. God, he was so gorgeous. He had his arms crossed; she couldn’t quite read his expression.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his brow quirked up in question.

“Headache; queasy stomach. Not exactly living my best life this morning.” Veronica felt tongue-tied. She couldn’t look at him without thinking of how she'd grabbed him in her bedroom.

He moved out of the way so she could access her locker. “So, how much of last night do you remember?”

“Unfortunately, I remember everything.” Veronica opened her locker and pulled out her books. “I have not been that drunk in a long time. Maybe ever.”

“Absinthe is some serious shit. I’m not surprised you were so fucked up.”

“The absinthe was great. The rum and Coke on top of it was my mistake.” Veronica groaned. “I made very bad choices last night.”

He frowned. “Ah, I see. Miss Lodge has regrets.”

“Definitely.” She’d been all over him in her drunken ridiculousness. She blushed, remembering what she’d done. Thank goodness for her spackled on concealer and foundation.

Veronica began walking down the hall. Sweet Pea walked with her.

They passed Toni’s locker and Veronica stopped to talk to her. “Are you hung-over as hell or just me?”

Toni laughed and held out a flask. “Hair of the dog?”

Veronica shuddered. “Thanks, but no.”

“See you at lunch?”

“Cool.”

Sweet Pea and Veronica continued walking down the hall. “So, I’m not quite sure how to say this, Sweet Pea, but I’m sorry that I was so inappropriate last night.” He had been so nice to her and she’d been totally out of control.

He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

Veronica was relieved. After last night, she was afraid that he’d be upset with her. “I’m so embarrassed. Patrick, I licked your neck.” She shook her head. “I grabbed... you.”

“Seriously, don’t be embarrassed. You had a rough day yesterday and I’m not surprised you wanted to blow off a little steam.”

At his words, she nearly recoiled. “I don’t want you to think that I make a habit of getting drunk and molesting my friends.” It was important to Veronica that Sweet Pea not think less of her. She liked him a lot and she didn’t want things to be awkward between them.

Sweet Pea stopped walking and pulled her to the side in front of the student lounge. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Veronica. I’m not mad or upset. I know you regret last night, but I sure as hell don’t.”

“You don’t?” Veronica was surprised. She’d basically mauled the poor guy. She’d grabbed his dick, after all.

He reached out and ran his hand down her neck. “Let me be perfectly clear. You, Veronica Lodge, can lick any part of me you like. You can put your hands all over me, too. Anytime you want.” He gave her the sexiest smile she’d ever seen, turned and walked away.

Holy shit. Veronica was stunned. She’d never known it was possible to be completely confused and totally turned on at the same time.

“Sounds like you had a very hot night last night,” came a sarcastic voice behind her.

Veronica spun around, startled.

Cheryl was sitting on one of the couches, her cell phone in her hand. “So it took you, what, all of an hour to get over Archie?” Cheryl smiled coldly. “I guess true love just isn’t what it used to be.”

Veronica wasn’t in the mood for Cheryl’s bitchy attitude. “At least I’m not little miss forever alone! You haven’t had a single date since I came to Riverdale.” Glaring, she put her hand on her hip. “No, wait. There was one. But you had to bribe Archie with a fucking guitar to get him to take you out!”

Veronica stomped out of the lounge and down the hall towards her Civics classroom. She was fuming; Cheryl was such a major bitch. Well, screw her. Who cared what she thought?

Veronica mulled over what Sweet Pea had said to her. He liked her, very obviously. She was so surprised that he was interested in her. Wait, was he just interested in getting laid or did he want more? She had no idea. What did she want from him? That was an intriguing question.

Inside the classroom, Veronica sat down in her usual seat. Betty was in hers, too, wearing an oversized pink scarf tied tightly around her neck. It was not a good look.

“Interesting fashion choice,” Veronica commented dryly.

Betty pulled the scarf down, revealing an enormous purple hickey. “I look like I was mauled by a wild animal.”

“Someone had a fun night.”

“I definitely did. I had a blast last night.” Betty looked over at her. “How about you? I’ve never seen you drink so much before.”

“The whole school has heard how drunk she was.” Archie sat down in his seat next to them. He gave Veronica a dirty look. “Everyone’s talking about what an ass you made of yourself down in the Southside last night.”

“Fuck off, Archie.” Veronica was in no mood for his bullshit.

“I honestly thought that you were going to come over and apologize to me,” said Archie. “But no. Instead you hung out in a Ghoulie dive bar and plastered yourself all over some Serpent scumbag all night.”

He was such an asshole. Why had she never seen this ugly side of him before? She was tempted to defend herself and Sweet Pea’s honor but decided he wasn’t worth it. “You’re disgusting, Archie.”

“I thought you were someone special but you’re not. You’re just another Serpent slut.” Archie gave her a smug smile.

Veronica wasn’t sure whether to slug him or cry.

Betty leaned over and poked him in the shoulder. “You’ve already lost all of your friends by acting so hateful. Stop it, Archie.”

“Stop it or what? You’ll send Jughead to kick my ass?” He laughed. “Bring it on, Betty.”

Any retort that she could have made was silenced as Miss Haley walked in just as the bell rang. “Good morning, students. Please turn to page sixty in your textbooks.”

****

As fourth period began, Veronica walked through the door of the chemistry lab. Sweet Pea was already in his seat. He grinned when he saw her.

Veronica gave Sweet Pea a quick glance, sat down next to him and took out her books. She felt nervous, now, being with him. She didn’t know what to say to him.

“You can’t even look at me. I made things weird, didn’t I?” He asked in a low voice.

“No, Patrick, it’s me. I’m the one who made things weird. I’m the one that licked you and groped you last night!” she whispered. She did not want people overhearing this.

He laughed and idly touched her fingers with his own on the lab table. “Yes, you did.”

She met his eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m some kind of drunken slut. I’m really not.”

“I don’t think that about you.” His voice was firm and his fingers stilled. “Veronica, I like you a lot. I’d like to-“

“Mr. Flannery. Miss Lodge.” Mr. Dorn walked over and stood next to their table. “Save your socializing for after class and get to work.” His tone made it clear that he was annoyed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dorn.” Veronica pulled out the lab worksheet and started filling it in. Sweet Pea took a deep sigh and began setting up the experiment for the day.

As they worked on the lab, Veronica couldn’t manage to keep from staring over at him. She’d licked his skin last night. Her tongue had been on his neck. God, that was so hot.

“You keep staring at my tattoo.” Sweet Pea looked up at her through their beakers with amusement.

“I’m sorry.” She was completely ogling him. What the hell was wrong with her?

“I would really love to know what you’re thinking about right now.” His grin was wide and mischievous.

“I’m thinking about licking your neck,” she answered softly. Veronica was nothing if not honest with herself. Her drunken antics of the night before had done many things, not the least of which was help her realize that she was, in fact, full-on crushing on this guy. The more she thought about him, the more she knew that she liked Sweet Pea. She liked him a lot.

“I’m thinking about it too, baby doll.” He reached out and ran his thumb across her knee. “Believe me, I haven’t thought about much else since last night.”

Her heart started pounding. She could feel her pulse in her ears. God, she was so attracted to him. A brief touch of his hand and she was totally turned on. “Patrick.”

“I really like the way you say my name,” he said quietly. “I like it a lot.”

The bell rang and the class got ready to leave. Veronica stood up and put her bag over her shoulder. “Would you like to walk to lunch with me?”

“Definitely.” He grabbed his stuff and they left the room.

As they walked down the hallway toward the cafeteria, Sweet Pea abruptly took her hand and pulled her down the hallway towards the gym.

“Where are we going?” Veronica asked, looking over her shoulder down the hall.

Sweet Pea opened the door to the equipment closet and pulled her inside with him. Stacks of floor mats, balls in mesh bags, cheerleading pom poms and other sports equipment surrounded them. It smelled like dirty gym socks.

“Before we’re around a bunch of people, I wanted to talk to you.” Sweet Pea licked his lips. “Look, I know you just got out of a relationship. The timing sucks. But I’ve liked you since the moment I saw you, Veronica. I was afraid that last night was just the alcohol, but it’s more than that. Isn’t it?”

“I had no idea that you liked me.” Veronica truly hadn’t. Sweet Pea had been sweet and friendly and helpful, but he’d never made her feel like he was putting the moves on her.

“I’ve been trying to play it cool, Veronica.” He drew his thumb gently across her collarbone, his eyes fixed on her mouth. “It’s been hard. Very hard.”

She shivered. “I like you too, Patrick.” There was no point in denying it. He knew.

They reached for each other at the same time. She pulled his face down to hers as he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him.

Sweet Pea cupped the back of her head in one hand and kissed her. He tasted like cinnamon and his mouth was warm, almost hot. He lapped his tongue inside her mouth, deep and intense. Veronica moaned as she enthusiastically reciprocated.

Sweet Pea’s hands slid down her back and he cupped her ass in both hands. “I’ve honestly wanted to grab a handful of your ass since day one,” Sweet Pea whispered in her ear. “Your body is so fucking hot, Veronica. Everything about you turns me on.”

“Oh my God.”

He bit her ear and picked her up off the floor. “Wrap your legs around me.”

She did and he pressed her against the wall.

“I heard that you’re looking for a Southside guy to fuck you against a wall.” He kissed the side of her neck as his hands caressed her ass. “I understand you’d like to have a few orgasms. I can definitely make that happen.”

Veronica had never been more turned on in her life. “Patrick.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

“Veronica.” His voice was husky. “I want you so bad.”

“I want you too. I need to taste you again.” She put her mouth against his tattoo and licked his skin.

His hands tightened against her ass and he ground against her. Veronica gasped as he felt his erection. It felt good; so good. She sucked on his tattoo and he moaned, the sound deep and erotic.

Veronica’s entire body sizzled with desire. Things were getting very hot and heavy, very fast. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything. Someone could walk in on them any minute, though, so it was with great effort that she pulled away. “We need to slow this down.”

Pausing immediately, Patrick let out a sigh. “Okay, doll.” He gave her a peck on the lips and gently set her down on the floor. He stepped away from her and adjusted the bulge in his pants. Veronica’s theory was absolutely correct: this guy was big all over.

“I’m sorry. We just can’t do this here.” Veronica took a deep breath. God, she was so turned on that she was having a difficult time thinking clearly. She wanted nothing more than to just jump his bones, right here and now.

“So, I have a question for you. Do you just want to get your rocks off, call it friends with benefits?” He took a deep breath and looked at her, his gaze hot and giving nothing away. “Or do you want to be my girl, Veronica Lodge?”

The door opened with a loud creak and Principal Weatherbee walked into the equipment room. He spotted them and frowned. “What are the two of you doing in here?”

Veronica thought quickly for an excuse. “We were just picking up some gear for cheerleading tryouts.” She grabbed a large mesh bag of pom poms and handed it to Sweet Pea.

“Are you thinking of trying out for cheerleading, Mr. Flannery?” The principal asked Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea blinked. “I can honestly say that I hadn’t thought about it. I’m just here with Veronica.”

Weatherbee looked Sweet Pea up and down. “If you’re looking to support the Bulldogs, we could use a boy with your height on the basketball team.”

“I’m not really a sports guy,” Sweet Pea answered dryly.

Veronica stifled a giggle.

Weatherbee clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, don’t miss an opportunity to try new things, son. Step out of your comfort zone. You just might surprise yourself.”

Veronica was reminded that she’d meant to speak with Principal Weatherbee. “I had an idea that I wanted to share with you, sir.” She stepped closer to him as she explained her idea. “I noticed that many of the Southside kids don’t have proper school supplies. I’d like to organize a backpack giveaway next week at the pep rally. Each backpack would have a full set of basic supplies that every student can use. I would like to make them available to anyone to who wants them. I don’t want the Southsiders to feel like they are being singled out or given charity. I’ve secured funding from the Lodge Charitable Trust to cover all the expenses.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” The principal smiled at her approvingly. “You’re really taking your duties as a student ambassador seriously.”

“I’m glad you approve, Principal Weatherbee. I’ll email you and we’ll work out the details.” Veronica was proud that her plan was coming together.

Weatherbee turned to Sweet Pea. “I hope you and your Southside peers appreciate how hard Veronica and her friends have worked to make all of you feel welcome in these halls.”

Sweet Pea grinned. “Veronica has given me a _very_ warm welcome to Riverdale High.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Now, perhaps the two of you can help me.” The principal frowned. “Coach Clayton asked me to retrieve the Bulldog mascot costume? I thought it might be in here.”

“That’s kept in the boy’s locker room,” Veronica pointed out.

“That’s very helpful. Thank you.” Principal Weatherbee held the door open for them and turned off the lights. He closed the door and locked it behind him.

Veronica and Sweet Pea walked down the hall. When Principal Weatherbee entered the boys’ locker room, Veronica grabbed Patrick’s hand and tugged him down the hall and around the corner.

“Let me just get rid of these stupid pom poms. I’ll be right back.” Veronica took the bag out of his hands, walked a few doors down to the girls’ locker room and left the bag on a wooden bench.

Back in the hallway, she took Sweet Pea’s hand again and he immediately locked his fingers with hers. Veronica loved the way her hand felt in his. It just felt right. “So, before we were interrupted, you asked me a question. Two questions, actually.”

“Yes, I did.” He looked down at her, his eyes dark and serious.

She sat down on a bench in front of the gym and he sat beside her. “I like you so much, Patrick.” She took a deep breath. “And honestly, yes, I would absolutely like to have hot sex with you up against a wall. So much. But I don’t want you to be just some rebound hookup. I’m afraid if we move too fast you’ll think that’s all I want from you."

“So what _do_ you want, Veronica Lodge?” He reached out and stroked her hair, his eyes soft.

Veronica wasn’t sure how to put her feelings into words. She had butterflies in her stomach every time he touched her. She wanted to listen to him talk. She wanted to make him laugh. Really, she just wanted to get to know him better. And make out some more, for sure. “There’s a dance this Saturday night, the welcome mixer. If you don’t have a date already, would you like to go with me?”

He looked over at her, his eyebrows raised. “You’re asking me on a date?”

“Yes.” She felt uncertain now. Maybe he didn’t want to go out with her? Had she been reading this all wrong?

“I’ve never had a girl ask me out before. I like it.” Sweet Pea cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He made her feel so safe, so warm. She wanted to just melt into him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

When he broke the kiss, she smiled up at him. “So was that a yes?”

“Absolutely, doll.” He kissed her again, his hand cupping her jaw. “So, Saturday night, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll go on our first date.”

Veronica felt nervous and excited all at once and couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “I can’t wait. The dance starts at seven, so could you pick me up at six-thirty?”

“That sounds good. How dressed up do I need to be for this?” he asked.

“Most of the guys wear suits to our dances,” Veronica explained. “But I don’t care what you wear, Patrick.”

He leaned forward to kiss her again just as her phone rang, ruining the moment.

She pulled out her phone and saw that it was Toni.

Placing a hand on his chest, she answered the call. “Hey, Toni. What’s up?”

“Where are you? I’m at lunch. You didn’t show and I was afraid you were passed out somewhere with your nasty-ass hangover.”

Veronica laughed. “No, I’m coming. I just got sidetracked.”

“Well, get your ass down here before someone steals your seat.” Toni hung up.

Veronica put her phone back in her bag. “”We’d better get to lunch. They’re waiting for us.”

The pair walked down the hall holding hands. When they reached the cafeteria, Sweet Pea opened the door for her and they walked in.

Toni waved them over to her table. Betty and Jughead were there already and so was Fangs. “What took you so long?” Toni asked.

“Took a little detour with Sweet Pea.” Veronica sat down next to Toni. The only other open seat was on the opposite side of the table. Veronica felt a little sad as Sweet Pea walked over and sat next to Jughead. She wanted to keep him close.

“So, how you holding up your first day post-breakup?” asked Toni.

“A lot better than I expected,” Veronica said honestly. She looked over at Sweet Pea and smiled. Should she tell everyone they’d decided to date? They had set up one date. Were they dating or nearly dating or what? He said he liked her...but they hadn’t exactly defined the relationship. Veronica decided to just keep it to her herself for the moment.

Sweet Pea just smiled and stole one of Jughead’s fries.

“Don’t touch my food, man,” Jughead admonished him, swatting at his fingers.

“You can finish my chicken nuggets if you want, Sweet Pea,” Betty offered. “Honestly, I’m a little hung-over and food is just not super tasty right now.”

Sweet Pea thanked Betty and began eating her chicken nuggets.

“Me too, Betts,” Veronica agreed. “I could barely deal with fruit salad this morning.” Her stomach still seemed a little unsettled. “I think I’ll just stick to liquids today. Maybe I’ll get a juice from the lunch line.”

Sweet Pea stood up. “What kind do you want? Apple or orange?”

“Apple would be great.”

He got up to get her the juice. He was such a sweetheart. Veronica couldn’t wait for their date.

Jughead looked over at Veronica. “So have you and Archie made up? Did he show up on your doorstep this morning and beg you to take him back?”

“No, that didn’t happen,” Veronica replied. “Which is perfectly fine with me because I’m not interested in speaking to him.”

“He was so rude to her in Civics this morning,” Betty said to Jughead.

“Rude how?” asked Jughead, his eyes narrowed.

“He was giving her crap for hanging out with us down in the Southside last night,” said Betty. “He called her a Serpent slut.”

Jughead frowned. “He can’t do that. That’s not right.”

“He’s probably jealous as hell,” said Toni. “Cheryl Blossom is gossiping about Sweet Pea and Veronica being together last night. From what’s going around, you’d think they were fucking in public instead of simply sitting together in a bar. That nasty bitch is just talking out her ass.”

Veronica wasn’t surprised that Cheryl was spreading nasty gossip. After all, that was her MO. But it still stung.

Sweet Pea came back and handed Veronica a bottle of juice. “Thanks, Patrick.”

“Any time, dollface.” Sweet Pea smiled at her and went back to his seat across from her.

Betty raised an eyebrow and gave Veronica a pointed look. She needed to have a chat with her BFF, stat. She hoped Betty would be supportive of her decision to date Sweet Pea.

Jughead looked from Sweet Pea to Veronica and frowned. “So, I got a text from my dad, Sweet Pea. He wants us over at the Whyte Wyrm right after school is out.”

Sweet Pea sighed. “Fuck! I promised Veronica I’d tutor her after school. She really needs help in chemistry.”

“Sorry, man.” Jughead shrugged. “Duty calls.”

“Why don’t you hang out with me at the Whyte Wyrm until the boys are free, Veronica?” Betty offered. “I’ll be there anyway.”

Jughead sighed. “No, Betty. That’s not a great idea. Veronica does not need to hang out at the bar.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Veronica, ignoring him. “Thanks.”

“Honestly Veronica, if you have any desire to get back together with Archie, a field trip to the Whyte Wyrm would be a very bad idea,” said Jughead.

Betty turned to Jughead and frowned. “Juggie, I can’t believe that you think that Veronica should get back together with Archie after how horrible he was to her!”

“Archie does stupid shit sometimes but you know that he doesn’t mean it,” said Jughead defensively. “I’m sure when he realizes what an asshole he’s being, he’s going to beg Veronica to come back to him.”

“Veronica can do a lot better than that ass,” said Toni. “She had Malachai eating out of her hand last night.”

“That guy is definitely not my type,” said Veronica decisively.

“So what is your type, Veronica?” Sweet Pea gave her a little grin. He was totally flirting with her and she loved it.

She smiled back at him. He was so cute and he was really, really into her. This was delightful. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him again. “I want a guy who is tall, handsome. Great smile. He’s kind and considerate and chivalrous. You know, just all around completely wonderful.”

Toni snorted. “Honey, I don’t know what kind of men you meet but there aren’t any like that where I’m from.”

“That’s not true. I’m all those things,” Fangs protested. “I treat my lady right. It’s my number one priority, keeping my girl happy.”

“Fangs worships the ground Melissa walks on. She’s got him wrapped around her little finger,” Sweet Pea teased.

Fangs shrugged. “I’m getting laid on the regular. My girl is beautiful, funny and she can kick ass when she has to. Call me whipped if you want. I don’t give a fuck.”

Just then, someone tapped Veronica on the shoulder. She turned around. It was the girl from the Ghoulie bar who had poured their absinthe the night before. Today she was wearing a black velvet dress with a white Peter Pan collar. It made her look even paler than she had looked last night.

“Oh hi!” Veronica said. “Nice to see you again. Thanks for the drinks last night. They were amazing.”

“Don’t be nice to me,” snapped the girl. “I know what you did.”

“What I did?” Veronica was bewildered.

Toni turned around and glared at the girl. “Step off, Bambi. Veronica is not creeping on your man.”

Her name was Bambi? Veronica tried to hide her laugh, but failed.

“This is not a laughing matter! I saw him kiss you last night!” Bambi hissed. “Twice!”

“You must be confusing me with someone else,” Veronica protested. “I did not kiss anyone last night.”

The girl leaned forward and put her face right in front of Veronica’s. She could feel her breath on her face. “Don’t lie to me.”

Toni stood up. “You need to step the hell back.”

Veronica rose from her seat and stood next to Toni. “Look, there seems to be some misunderstanding here, Bambi.”

“Fuck you!” Bambi replied. “You’re a whore!”

There was a scraping sound behind her. Veronica looked over her shoulder. Sweet Pea and Fangs had stood up and they both looked pissed.

“Guys, don’t get involved in this,” Jughead said quietly. “Let’s just try and let the girls defuse this situation.”

Betty stood up and stomped over to Bambi. “If you’ve got a problem with my girl, you’ve got a problem with the Serpents.” She poked her in the chest and Bambi took a step back. “I’ve got a brand new set of brass knuckles in my bag and I’d be more than happy to break them in on your face.”

“Betty!” Jughead said sharply. “Don’t do that.”

“You want a fucking fight, Ghoulie, we’ll bring a fight.” Toni made a fist with her hand.

Betty and Toni looked like they were totally prepared to kick Bambi’s ass. Betty, actually, seemed downright eager to throw down.

Veronica panicked. She’d didn’t want this to happen. She didn’t want her friends to get hurt and she didn’t want any more fights happening at school. There was too much tension already.

“Guys, stop.” Veronica waved her hands. “Truce. Surrender. Stop. I have no interest in fighting.”

“You can’t have Malachai!” Bambi wasn’t backing down. “He told me that our souls are united for all of time and space. He said I was his immortal beloved!”

“Bambi, he’s tried to sell every girl in the Southside that line of bullshit. If you bought it, you are one dumb bitch,” Toni said coldly.

“How dare you!” Bambi clenched her hands into fists. “Our love is real and true and eternal.”

Betty glared at Bambi, her arms crossed. “If that’s the case, you shouldn’t be afraid that my friend is trying to steal your guy. She’s not interested in him; believe me. You are making an ass out of yourself.”

“Everyone wants Malachai!” Bambi insisted. She turned to Veronica and glared at her. “Girls throw themselves at him all day. Do you think you’re special? You’re a dime a dozen.”

Veronica ran out of patience. “Look, Wednesday Addams, I’m not trying to steal your goddamn man. The notion that another woman can even steal someone else’s man is ridiculous. If your guy is going around hitting on other women, your relationship is messed up. If he can’t keep his dick in his pants, it’s not my fucking fault.”

Bambi shrieked and lunged at her.

Bambi grabbed a handful of Veronica’s hair and pulled. “Ow! Fuck! Stop.” She did not want this girl attacking her. Her fractured nose was still healing and she had fifty pounds of makeup on to cover the bruises on her face.

“Ow! Ow!” The hold on Veronica’s hair let go. She turned around to see that Toni held Bambi’s long black hair in one hand and was pulling her head back.

Sweet Pea pulled Veronica protectively towards him. “You okay? Did that bitch hurt you?” He ran his thumbs down the sides of her face. His brow was furrowed; he looked worried.

“I’m fine,” Veronica assured him. “I’m fine, babe, really.”

He leaned down and kissed her gently. “Bambi is lucky I don’t hit chicks, but if she doesn’t back off, our friends are going to seriously fuck her up.”

Toni still had a firm grip on Bambi’s hair. “You need to pull it together, girl. You can’t be that hung up on Malachai. Five months ago you were posting Taylor Swift lyrics on Instagram and wearing pastels. You’re not the vampire queen of the fucking Ghoulies. Get over yourself.”

“Let go of me!” Bambi struggled.

“Apologize to Veronica and Toni will let you go,” Betty said calmly. “Otherwise, we’re all going to take a walk outside and have a nice little chat.”

“I’m sorry.” Bambi had lost her will to fight. Now she was crying.

“Let her go, Toni,” Betty said quietly, and Toni did.

Bambi was sobbing now. Her ornate black eyeliner was running down her face under the onslaught of tears.

Despite everything, Veronica felt bad for her; she was clearly broken hearted as well as batshit. Bambi’s man had definitely done her wrong. Veronica pulled a tissue out of her Birkin and handed it to the girl.

“I just love him so much,” Bambi cried.

“I’m sure you do,” Veronica said sympathetically. “If he doesn’t appreciate that than he doesn’t deserve you.”

The girl nodded and turned away. She walked out of the cafeteria and in that moment, Veronica realized that the entire room full of people was staring at her.

Then there was the sound of clapping. Veronica turned to see Cheryl Blossom walking towards her. Everyone was watching.

“So classy, Veronica Lodge. Grinding on this Southside skeezoid last night.” She gestured toward Sweet Pea with one hand. “Starting a girl gang fight in the cafeteria today. Such class. So elegant.” She smirked at Veronica. “People like you are why we can’t have nice things.”

Veronica’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t know why you love spewing hate, Cheryl. I know you’re better than this.” She had made a mistake this morning when she’d taunted Cheryl about Archie. That had started the chain of events that led to the gossip and now this scene in front of everyone. If Veronica hadn’t lost her temper, this wouldn’t be happening.

“I am better,” replied Cheryl coolly. “I aim high while you are rolling around in the mud with lowlifes like him.” She pointed at Sweet Pea.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut your fucking mouth right now,” Sweet Pea spat.

Veronica tried to defuse the situation. The tension in the room was impossible to ignore. “We are all just people, Cheryl, some rich and some poor. We come from different parts of town. We all have different challenges. You’re no better than anyone on the Southside.”

“Spoken like the child of the nouveau riche that you are. My family came here on the _Mayflower_. Your family comes from nothing.“ She smiled coldly. “My grandfather was a billionaire while your grandfather was still peddling enchiladas. All the money in the world can’t make you a Cartier necklace when you’re just a piece of costume jewelry.”

Cheryl’s words stung far more than Veronica wanted to admit. Her voice was quiet as she replied. “When you were at your lowest, Cheryl, I was there for you. All I ever wanted was to be your friend.”

“They say that blood will tell. Your low-class roots are finally showing themselves. I’m not friends with Southside trash.” Cheryl shrugged. “Even if you’re dressed up in pearls, you’re still garbage.”

Veronica was stunned at Cheryl’s cruelty. Did she really feel that way about her? Is that what Cheryl truly saw her as, trash? Tears began to fill her eyes.

“That’s enough.” Sweet Pea took her hand and led her away from Cheryl. “You have made a very serious error in judgment, bitch. You’ll pay,” he growled over his shoulder.

Veronica walked out of the cafeteria with Sweet Pea, her head held high. She made it down the hall and around the corner before the tears started to fall. “Don’t cry, baby,” Sweet Pea whispered. “She isn’t worth your tears.”

Sweet Pea led her to an empty classroom. He leaned against the door and wrapped his arms around her. She was totally surrounded by him, his quiet strength. He kissed her on the top of her head, so gently. “Go ahead and cry now, doll. No one can hear you here. No one will see. I’ll take care of you.”

Veronica pressed her face against his chest and sobbed. People she’d trusted, cared about, were so full of hate and so cruel. It hurt her heart. As she cried, Sweet Pea rubbed her back, slow circle after slow circle. He didn’t say a word, just provided a comforting touch.

Finally she stopped crying. She looked up at him and he kissed her forehead. “You don’t need me to tell you that she’s the one who is trash, not you.”

Veronica wiped away her tears. “It’s not just Cheryl. It’s everything. I feel like someone took my world and shook it upside down. Everything is just spinning out of control.”

“It just feels that way,” Sweet Pea said softly, his thumb gently trailing along her cheek. “The important things are the same. Family; faith; loyalty: those are rock solid. Just ignore everything else. It’s not important.”

“I feel so stupid and so hurt. People I cared about are so ugly inside that I know I never really knew them at all.” Archie had called her a slut. Cheryl had called her trash. They were just words, but they hurt.

“Don’t worry about them. You’ve got a whole lot of people to watch your back now. I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of. You can count on me.” Sweet Pea cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He made her feel like everything was going to be all right. His touch, his presence, was a balm that she’d never had before.

“You’re so good to me, Patrick. You make me feel so safe.” Veronica had felt it for the first time last night, when he held her on his lap at the bar. He’d never let anything happen to her. He wanted to take care of her.

Sweet Pea held her tight and stroked her hair. “You’re my girl. I knew you were the one for me the first time I saw you. You make my heart hurt in places I didn’t even know I had.” He kissed the side of her neck.

There was a knock at the door. It was Betty, looking worried. “Are you okay?” She had Veronica’s purse in her hand.

Veronica wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and reluctantly moved from Sweet Pea’s embrace. “I’ve been better.”

With a grateful smile to the tall Serpent, Betty took her best friend’s hand. “Come on, V. Let’s go fix your makeup before we have to go back to class.”

Betty put her arm around Veronica and they walked to the closest girls bathroom.

“I’ll wait for you here, doll,” assured Sweet Pea and he leaned against the wall across the hall.

“She’ll be out in a few minutes,” said Betty.

Betty pushed open the door and they walked into the bathroom. She quickly looked under all the stalls. Veronica knew she was checking to make sure they were alone.

Confident they had privacy, Betty then turned to her. “Okay, spill. What is going on with you and Sweet Pea? You were a little flirty with him last night but I thought, hey, a little fun on the rebound is probably okay. But the two of you don’t look like it’s a casual fling. What’s going on?”

“We’re going to the dance together on Saturday night.”

“Really? Wow. He said he’d go to a school dance with you?” At Veronica’s nod, Betty leaned back against the sink. “You and Sweet Pea together, it’s so weird. He’s so... grouchy.”

“Not with me,” Veronica explained, unable to keep the fond smile off her face as she thought of him. “He’s incredibly sweet to me. Helpful and kind. Plus he’s just so hot.” She flushed, thinking of their steamy make out earlier.

Betty bit her lip. “V, I’m worried for you. Are you sure that this is the best idea right now? I can tell you’re really attracted to each other but this timing seems way too rushed. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Veronica liked to think of herself as reasonable, and she knew Betty was only looking out for her, but she felt warm inside when she thought about him. She loved how safe and cared for she felt when she was with Sweet Pea. “I think we will be really good for each other. I mean, yes, the chemistry between is intense. But I think there’s more between us than just lust. I think it could grow into something special.”

“Then I will support you, one hundred percent. You know that.” Betty took Veronica’s makeup bag out of her purse. “Well, let’s get you fixed up. You look like you’ve been crying, obviously, and you seem to have cried off all of your foundation and concealer. So we want to get those bruises covered up.”

Betty had already applied concealer and foundation when the door slammed open. Betty whirled around. “Find another bathroom!” she barked.

It was Toni. “Can I come in?”

“I’m sorry,” Betty said sheepishly. “I just didn’t want anyone else hassling Veronica. It’s been more than enough for one day.”

“I just wanted to see if she was okay,” Toni replied. “That girl Cheryl needs an ass-kicking.”

Betty dabbed at Veronica’s face with a powder puff. “That girl needs to be in an institution! She’s mental. She should be locked up.”

Cheryl was mean, but that was over the top. “Betty,” Veronica said. “Don’t say that.”

“No, I mean it. She’s always had a screw loose but she’s worse now than ever before.” Betty finished touching up Veronica’s face. “That’s much better, V. You look beautiful."

“She needs highlighter to brighten her up,” Toni observed. “In the corner of her eyes and above her cheekbones.” She pulled a tube from her purse and applied it to Veronica’s face. “See?”

“You were right; that really finished off her look.” Betty approved of Toni’s handiwork.

Veronica looked in the mirror. The bruises were all covered up and her skin looked fine. Quickly she touched up her eyeliner and mascara and finished off her look with her merlot lipstick.

“Now you’re ready to go to class.” Betty smiled at her. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Veronica felt prepared to deal with Cheryl, Archie, and all the rest. She had good friends. She had Sweet Pea. Her parents were complicated but she knew they loved her very much. She was going to be just fine.

The girls stepped out of the bathroom and into the hall.

“I’ll see you at the Whyte Wyrm after school. Love you, V.” Betty squeezed her hand and walked off to class.

Toni was still by Veronica’s side when she walked over to Sweet Pea. He was leaning against the lockers. Her heart beat faster when she saw him. Damn, she was so smitten.

“You look beautiful, baby.” Sweet Pea leaned forward and kissed Veronica’s mouth.

“Don’t mess up her makeup, you big lug. We just fixed her up.” Toni slapped Sweet Pea’s shoulder. “Treat her nice and don’t fuck it up.” She grinned and walked down the hall to her own class.

The bell rang. They had three minutes to get to their next class. Sweet Pea put his arm around Veronica’s shoulders and they walked down the hall together.

The halls were full of people. Veronica saw them whispering about her, staring at Sweet Pea. She knew that they were talking about the scene with Cheryl and the rumors they’d heard about Veronica’s night on the Southside.

“Keep your chin up,” Sweet Pea reassured her, as though he were reading her mind. “Show them they can’t get to you. Serpents never show weakness, doll.”

Veronica took a deep breath. “Nobody’s going to break me, babe. They can call me a Serpent slut if they want to. I’m not ashamed to be your girl.”

With a grin, he kissed her forehead. “I knew you were perfect for me. You’re a fighter, Veronica Lodge. Just like me.”


	5. Panic Switch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For paperlesscrown, whose enthusiasm made me write faster.
> 
> Please leave a quick comment or kudos if you are enjoying the story. It's greatly appreciated!

Veronica only had three more classes to get through before the day was done. She couldn’t wait to get away from all the whispers and pointed looks. The weight of Sweet Pea’s arm on her shoulders reminded Veronica of what was important. None of this high school drama really mattered.

Sweet Pea and Veronica walked into the room for study hall. In the doorway, he stopped to give her a quick kiss on the lips. “Remember, keep your chin up,” he whispered.

“Looks like the two of them are in heat,” Reggie said loudly from behind her.

Moose laughed and clapped him on the arm.

What a bunch of assholes. Veronica fumed as she took her usual seat. Unfortunately, it was the desk right in front of Reggie.

Sweet Pea sauntered past her towards the back row. As he walked past Reggie, he stomped heavily on his foot.

“Sorry,” Sweet Pea said, his voice calm and unapologetic. “You know us Southsiders. Can’t do a fucking thing right.”

Veronica pulled out her Chemistry textbook to study.

“Not sure why you want some Southside asshole when you could have some prime Northside man meat,” Reggie whispered in her ear. “Archie said you were a lot of fun in the sack. I don’t mind being his sloppy seconds.”

Veronica picked up her heavy Chemistry textbook. Damn the consequences. She was going to break his face.

Immediately her phone buzzed. It was a text from Sweet Pea.

 _Don’t do it, doll._

A second later, another text chimed.

_Ask for a pass to the library. I’ll meet you there._

With a final glare toward Reggie, Veronica walked up to the front of the room. Coach Clayton sat with his feet up on the desk, reading the _Register._

“I’d like a pass to the library. I need to do some research,” Veronica explained.

He didn’t even look at her, just handed her a yellow hall pass and sent her on her way.

The large, well-stocked library was quiet. The only sound was the ticking of a large clock on the wall. There were only a few people studying at the long wooden tables. Even if she and Sweet Pea spoke in whispers, everyone would hear them.

The librarian, Miss Morrison, was behind the counter, sticking inventory labels onto book jackets. Veronica handed her the hall pass. “Has anyone reserved the quiet study room?” she asked.

Miss Morrison checked a clipboard behind her desk. “It’s free for the next half hour.”

“Can you please reserve it for me?”

“For what purpose?”

“Chemistry tutoring.” With the door shut, they would have some privacy.

The librarian nodded. “If you need reference materials for chemistry, you can find them in the shelves beginning with 540.”

“Thank you.”

Veronica walked past the shelves of reference books and into a small room fronted with glass that faced the main area of the library. She sat down at the small table and sent Sweet Pea a text telling him where to meet her.

Minutes later, he walked in and shut the door. “Hey baby.” He leaned over to kiss her.

Veronica leaned away and gave him an apologetic smile. “No PDA in the library. Miss Morrison will kick us out.”

“Then I’ll just have to keep my hands to myself.” Sweet Pea let out an amused breath as he sat down and rubbed her knee under the table. “Even though I really don’t want to.”

“I don’t want you to either,” she admitted.

He gave her a sultry look and pulled a heavy chemistry textbook from his backpack. There were sticky notes on the edges of many of the pages. “The textbook we’re using in class is kind of confusing. My dad used to teach from this one for his AP Chem class. It explains everything in a much better way and I think it will help you.”

“Your dad was a teacher?” Veronica was surprised.

Sweet Pea nodded as he flipped pages. “He taught high school chemistry for his entire career. He won Teacher of the Year something like six times.”

“That’s so great,” said Veronica. “You must have been proud of him.”

Sweet Pea gave her a sad smile. “We were. My dad was just the most patient human being on earth.”

“That must have been really hard for you when you lost your parents.” She couldn’t imagine how painful that must have been.

He nodded. “The first few months, it was just like I was in a fog. Moving here, living with my grandparents, it didn’t even seem real.”

“I know what you mean.” Veronica quickly clarified that. “What I went through, it wasn’t nearly that bad. But when my dad went to prison I lost everything. Everything we had; all my friends. They were all gone and I was just...alone.” It had been the darkest time in her life.

Sweet Pea rubbed her shoulder. “I know how it feels to be alone like that. If it wasn’t for Fangs and Toni, I don’t know how I would have made it through. Toni reached out to me right away. She knew how I felt; she’d lost her parents too. Fangs just took me in and treated me like family.”

“That’s what Betty did for me when I came to Riverdale,” said Veronica, thinking back to that first day. “She just kind of adopted me right away. We were friends from the start.”

“Now you have a ton of friends. You’re one of the popular kids here.” Sweet Pea frowned. “Throwing in with the Southside, doll, you’re going to lose a lot of your friends again. It’s not going to be easy for you.”

“My best friends are Betty and Jughead, who are Serpents just like you,” Veronica pointed out.

“But now you have the Northside gunning for you, assholes like Cheryl and that Mantle asshole and your ex."

“My other friends that are important to me, like Kevin and Josie, they will support me, no matter what. Those that don’t?” She shook her head. “I don’t need them in my life.”

Sweet Pea played with her fingers, his touch gentle. “When I asked you to be my girl, I wasn’t really thinking about how hard it would be on you, being with me.” He bit his lip, his eyes dark. “Down on the Southside, if anyone even looks at you wrong, they’ll answer to me. But here, on the Northside, I can’t just throw down if someone disrespects you. FP has made it clear he doesn’t want us getting into rumbles with the Northsiders.” He looked at her, his face blank. “Maybe it’s not a great idea, you being with me. If you want to break it off, I’d understand.”

Faced with the prospect of losing Sweet Pea, Veronica knew that was the last thing she wanted. She held his hand and laced her fingers with hers. “I’m not giving you up,” Veronica insisted. “Our relationship is important to me. I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks about it.”

“Our relationship?” He gave her a shy smile. “You’re already thinking of us like that?”

Veronica smiled, feeling warm all over. “We’ve established that we enjoy spending time together. We have a date set up. You’ve seen me at my absolute worst and you like me anyway. We clearly have some smoking sexual chemistry. So, sure, let’s define the relationship. What do you want, Patrick?”

“I want you to be my girl,” he immediately answered. “You, me, going steady. I want to be your boyfriend.”

“So you want to be exclusive?” Veronica clarified.

“I’ve already seen enough of you with some other guy,” Sweet Pea confessed. “Babe, I’ve wanted you to be mine since I first set eyes on you. There’s no other girl for me.”

Veronica didn’t want to see him with some other girl, either. “Then I’m your girl, Patrick. It doesn’t matter to me what people think about us. I will be proud to call you my boyfriend.”

He patted her thigh under the table. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Absolutely, boyfriend.” Veronica pulled him close and kissed him. He sighed against her lips. His lips were so soft; she could kiss him for hours.

A sharp rap on the glass got their attention and they broke their kiss. Miss Morrison frowned and waved her finger at them.

With a regretful sigh, Veronica pushed her chair way from Sweet Pea’s. “Time to study.”

“Apparently so. Okay, so we’re going to focus on this right now. This is so important, Veronica.” Sweet Pea flipped the book around and set it in front of her. It was open to the periodic table of the elements.

Veronica groaned. “I hate that thing.”

“I can tell you don’t have it memorized,” Sweet Pea said kindly. “There’s really no way to succeed in chemistry unless you know it backwards and forwards. You have to commit it to memory.”

Veronica sighed. “I’ve tried. I just can’t. It’s too much to keep in my mind at the same time.” She had the same problem memorizing the driving manual to pass her written exam to get her permit.

“I had a feeling you would say that.” Sweet Pea took out a photocopy from his notebook and set it down on the table. It was the periodic table, but unlike the one in the book, all of the boxes were blank. He outlined a section of boxes with a yellow highlighter. “I want you to focus on this element group only. Don’t worry about the rest of them right now.”

“But I still have to learn the whole thing,” Veronica protested. It seemed impossible.

He reached over and patted her back. “I can see you tensing up already. Just relax and we’ll work on it together.”

He flipped open the textbook and started to explain to her about the first group he wanted her to memorize: alkali metals. As he had been before when tutoring her, he was very patient. He answered all of her questions and never made her feel bad for not getting it the first time.

He slowly filled in the blank table, explaining to her each one of the alkali metals and what the information on the chart meant. After he finished, he set the textbook and the photocopy aside.

“I want you to think about what we just talked about.” He rubbed her knee under the table. “Take your time and remember what I said. I bet that when we get to the Wyrm after school, you’ll be able to fill in that part of the table, no problem.”

“I think you have more faith in me than I do.” Veronica still felt overwhelmed, even with his help.

Sweet Pea shook his head. “It’s a matter of confidence, doll. For some reason, this stuff scares you. You are more than capable of doing this. You’re psyching yourself out.”

“It’s not that I want to be a fuck up.” Veronica nervously chewed on her thumbnail. “I’ve always had trouble with math and science. Back in Manhattan, I used to cheat to keep my grades up. I just gave up; it was too hard. But I’m trying my best here in Riverdale. I’m trying really hard; I’m just stupid.”

He ran his thumb along her neck. “I hate it when you call yourself stupid; it’s not true. Don’t beat yourself up. Nobody’s perfect, Veronica; we all have things we are good at and things we aren’t.”

“My parents expect perfect grades.” Veronica sighed; discussing this was so stressful. “Mom was willing to cut me some slack, since we’d just moved and there was all the stress from what happened with my father. But Daddy is not as forgiving as my mother. If I don’t get my grades up, there are going to be serious consequences.” Grounded. No credit card. No phone. No freedom.

He rubbed her shoulder. “We’ll get your grade up in Chem. What about your other low grades?”

“My other D is in pre-calculus. Ethel is helping me get caught up.”

Sweet Pea frowned. “I don’t know Ethel. Is she a good tutor?”

Veronica nodded. “Ethel is great. She’s almost as patient as you and she’s just a whiz at math.”

“Then it sounds like all you need to do is relax and do the work you need to do to catch up.”

“I just worry that I’m going to fuck up so bad that I have to go to summer school. My parents would be so disappointed in me. Ashamed of me.” Veronica confessed her deepest fear. Keeping up appearances was so important to her parents. Repeating a class or, even worse, having to repeat an entire school year? She’d be off to boarding school in a heartbeat.

“Not going to happen,” he said confidently. “You’re gonna be fine.”

She looked over at him. “Why are you so sure that I won’t crash and burn?”

“Because I don’t think you’ll give up so easily,” said Sweet Pea. “You already told me that you don’t want to take the easy way out and buy good grades. I’m sure that if you wanted to, you could.”

“I could.” Veronica even knew who exactly to talk to if all she wanted was easy A’s. Everyone knew that Reggie and Moose bought their places on the honor roll every semester. They had to stay on the team somehow. “But I want to be better than that.”

He reached out and took her hand. “I understand how it feels to want to do better, to _be_ better. We’re both a work in progress, babe.”

Veronica sighed, looking down at their entwined hands. “You don’t understand how much more work I need to do to be a good person.”

“You’re already a good person, Veronica.” Sweet Pea tugged her hand and made her look up at him. “Everybody has their demons, doll. You’re trying to face yours and that’s more than most people ever do.”

“It’s not just the fact that I used to cheat for my grades. I used to be so much like Cheryl. I see myself in her and I hate it.” Veronica swallowed hard. “I can be that mean and cruel, too. I used people and discarded them. I’m scared that deep down I’m not a good person at all. I’ve done some horrible things in my life, Patrick.”

He stroked her hair. “Veronica, you’re not the only one. Do you really think that I’ve never done something I regret? Of course I have.”

She looked over at him. “What have you done that you regret?”

He took a deep breath. “I hurt people, if I have to. Not because I get off on it. I do what I have to do to protect the Serpents...and I do other things that I’m not necessarily proud of. We all do.”

Veronica didn’t know exactly what he did with the Serpents, but they were a gang. Obviously it wasn’t all Meals on Wheels and Toys for Tots. “It’s okay. I know you can’t tell me about what goes on with the Serpents.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I’m not worried about that being a problem for us, but there’s something else that might be. I’m the man of the house. It’s all on me to take care of my grandmother. If I don’t work, we don’t eat. I hope you won’t get angry with me if I have to cancel a date with you or don’t answer texts right away. I’m crazy about you, doll, but family has to be my priority.”

The idea of being upset with Sweet Pea over his family responsibilities was totally foreign to Veronica. Family always came first. “Loyalty is everything. Of course your grandmother has to be your priority over your girlfriend. That’s not even a question.”

He looked relieved. “I’m so glad to hear that. I’ve never had a steady girl before; it’s never gone beyond a couple of dates. Between the Serpents and living with my grandmother, it gets complicated.”

“I know your life is complicated,” said Veronica. “I knew that before anything started between us. My life gets complicated, too. I have my own family loyalties to keep in mind, for starters.”

Sweet Pea smiled. “Your parents raised you with the same kind of values mine did. You know, my grandmother is so excited about having brunch with your family this Sunday? She pulled out her photo albums and showed me some old pictures of your mom and your aunt with my dad and his brothers and sisters.”

“Really? That is so sweet.” Veronica would love to see those pictures. Her mom’s past had always been a closed book to her.

“My grandmother is going to be thrilled when I tell her we’re going on a date. A nice Catholic girl from a good family? She’s going to start planning the wedding.” Sweet Pea laughed.

The bell rang for the end of the period. Veronica and Sweet Pea gathered up their things and walked out of the library.

Sweet Pea walked Veronica to the door of her Spanish classroom. He leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss goodbye. “I’ll meet you after school to go to the Whyte Wyrm. I’ll be right outside the front doors waiting.”

“I’ll see you then.” She squeezed his hand tightly in hers.

She watched him walk away. Damn, he was handsome. And he had a very, very nice ass.

Toni walked up next to her and laughed. “Are you checking out his ass?”

“It’s really nice,” Veronica observed. “I mean, all of him is really nice. But I have a few favorite parts.”

“Girl, you are seriously smitten.”

They walked into the classroom together. Jughead was already there; Veronica sat down in her usual seat next to him. Toni sat down beside her, where Cheryl usually sat.

Jughead leaned forward. “What the hell are you doing with Sweet Pea?” he asked quietly. “I told him to stay away from you. If he made a move on you last night when you were drunk, I’m going to punch his teeth in.”

Veronica was taken aback by Jughead’s intensity. “No, Jug, it wasn’t like that. I really like Sweet Pea. He’s been a perfect gentleman.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea, the two of you,” said Jughead, keeping his voice low. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Veronica, but you need to think really hard about what you’re doing."

Veronica was hurt by his attitude. “I wouldn’t have pegged you and Betty as a perfect match at first either, but the two of you have proven everyone wrong. I’ve supported your relationship from day one, Jug!”

Jughead sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It’s not about you and Sweet Pea not being a good match. It’s about whether the two of you together is a bad idea.”

“I don’t care if you like the idea, Jughead. Your opinion is irrelevant. I’m dating Sweet Pea and that’s that,” Veronica said matter-of-factly. “So just chill out.”

“Veronica, did you do the Spanish homework?” Toni interrupted.

“I did. Do you need to copy it?” Veronica pulled out the paper from her binder and handed it to Toni.

“You’re not helping her by letting her cheat off of you,” protested Jughead irritably. “Don’t let her copy your homework.”

“Thanks, uptown.” Toni pulled out a sheet of notebook paper and began to copy the answers.

“Veronica, if you let her do that she won’t learn anything. It defeats the entire purpose of going to school,” argued Jughead.

“Toni, would you like some help with Spanish?” Veronica offered.

“No, I’m perfectly content to copy your work,” Toni replied.

Jughead rolled his eyes. “No one cares about getting an education.”

Cheryl walked over to Toni’s seat. “Move, scumbag. You’re sitting in my seat,” she said acidly.

“Go find somewhere else to sit,” said Jughead sharply.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Cheryl hissed. “Hobo.”

“You’re really making me wish that we had just left you in the Sweetwater River, Cheryl,” Jughead replied coldly.

Veronica looked over at Jughead with shock. His face was set; his eyes hard. He meant it.

Cheryl flushed and flounced away.

“That was stone cold, Jug.” Toni shook her head.

“I’m tired of rolling over and watching people I care about being treated like shit.” Jughead shifted in his seat. “I put up with this for years. I’m not doing it anymore.”

“FP specifically told us not to rumble with the Northsiders and to steer clear of trouble,” Toni reminded him.

“I’m pretty sure that’s going to be impossible,” said Jughead.

“You’re not the ones stirring the pot,” Veronica protested. “The Northsiders have started every single one of these nasty scenes.”

“In case you missed it, V,” said Jughead. “The Southsiders always get blamed when there’s trouble. Always.”

****

As promised, Sweet Pea was waiting for Veronica after school. He leaned against the wall just outside the front doors.

“Hey doll.” He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. “How was the rest of your day?”

“Blissfully uneventful.”

He walked her through the parking lot to his car and opened the passenger door for her.

“So I’m not sure exactly how long I’ll be gone on this job for FP,” Sweet Pea explained. “If it’s what I think it is, it should only take an hour or so.”

He turned the car on and pulled out of the parking lot.

She patted his leg. “Whatever you’re up to, be careful.” He was in a gang, after all. That had to involve a certain amount of danger.

“I know how to take care of myself,” he assured her.

“I’m sure that’s true. You’re a big guy. You keep a switchblade in your pocket. I’m sure you know what to do if your back is against the wall.”

Sweet Pea looked over at her and grinned. “See, doll, that’s why I knew you were the one for me. You’re not even freaked out that I carry a switchblade. You are Hiram Lodge’s daughter, after all. You understand that taking care of business means your hands get a little dirty.”

Veronica smacked his shoulder and exclaimed, “Is _that_ why you want to be with me, just because I’m Hiram Lodge’s daughter?” The idea was insulting, and if she believed for a moment that he felt that way at all, she would have been long gone. She knew he was teasing, though, when he laced his fingers through hers and squeezed.

“No, of course not. I want you for you.” He smiled fondly at her. “Not everyone is like you. Most people make snap judgments and never open their mind to anything else. But you aren’t like that. You don’t see my jacket and assume that I’m just a thug who can’t add two plus two.”

“I’ve never thought that about you.”

The car stopped for a red light and he leaned over and kissed her. “That’s because you are special, Veronica. You know who I am. You see me, not just the jacket and the tattoo. When you look at me, I feel like you’re looking straight into my soul.”

Veronica’s heart beat faster. She felt it too, this connection. He saw her, too; she knew it. She wasn’t afraid to show him who she was. “I feel that way too.”

He leaned forward to kiss her again but the driver of the car behind them leaned on the horn. The light had turned green. Sweet Pea flicked off the car behind them and stepped on the gas.

“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, with you at my side. You’re brave. You fight for what you believe in. You listen. You have the most giving heart. And for some reason, you’re into me.” He reached over and put his hand on her knee.

“I thought you just liked my ass,” teased Veronica. “I mean, isn’t that attraction for you? You like that I’m tiny and you like my ass.”

“I like all of you. The whole package,” he assured her.

“I like your whole package too.” She reached over and squeezed his thigh.

“Yeah, you grabbed my whole damn package last night. That’s how this whole thing got started.” He roared with laughter and she playfully slapped his arm.

They reached the Whyte Wyrm. Sweet Pea tried to park behind the bar, but the lot was full. Instead he parked around the corner and they walked up the street to the front entrance of the bar. He held her hand, his fingers entwined with hers. They walked past a group of guys out front in Serpent jackets, chatting near a long row of gleaming motorcycles. Some of these guys were a little intimidating looking.

A guy even taller than Sweet Pea stepped forward. “Who’s your new friend, Sweet Pea?”

He stopped and introduced her. “This is my girl,” he said proudly. “This is Veronica. Veronica, this is Meatball.”

He introduced her to every guy that was standing out front. They were all very polite and shook hands with her.

“Nice,” said Tall Boy approvingly, giving Veronica the once-over. “So you finally got yourself an old lady, kid. We were wondering if we were ever going to see you with a girl.”

Veronica smiled at Sweet Pea. She was the first girl he’d ever introduced to the Serpents? That was a big deal.

Tall Boy reached out and patted her shoulder. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart. We look forward to seeing more of you.”

“Thank you,” Veronica said brightly. Some of the Serpents had looked scary but everyone had been so nice to her.

Tall Boy turned to Sweet Pea. “If you want to make this official, you should take a walk with me. I’ve got something you’re gonna need.”

Sweet Pea slapped Tall Boy on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I’ll be right back to talk to you about that. Let me just get my lady settled in.”

Sweet Pea tugged Veronica’s hand and they walked through the front door of the bar.

“What did Tall Boy mean, make it official?” questioned Veronica.

Sweet Pea squeezed her hand. “It’s a surprise, doll. I know you’re going to love it.”

It took Veronica’s eyes a second to adjust to the dark interior. There were a lot of guys in Serpent jackets milling around, drinking beer and playing pool.

Across the room, Toni was behind the bar, pouring a drink. They walked over to the bar and sat down in front of her.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Veronica asked curiously.

“I skipped the last class of the day,” Toni explained. “I bailed after Spanish.”

“Gotta keep your grades up or the boss will be pissed at you,” Sweet Pea warned her.

“Speaking of the boss, FP called and said he’d be back any minute,” said Toni. “He wants you to come with him for an offsite.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Who else is coming?”

“Me and Jug and Melissa.” Toni turned to Veronica. “You want anything to drink?”

“Ginger ale, please.”

“How’s the hangover? Are you ready for solid food?” Toni smiled at her. “We’ve got pretzels, peanuts, chips and salsa.”

“Pretzels would be great.” Other than the fruit this morning, she hadn’t actually eaten anything today.

Betty put her bag down on the bar and sat next to Veronica. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Betty grinned at her, her eyes bright.

“I like it here,” said Veronica. “Everyone’s been super nice to me.”

Betty nodded happily. “As they should be.”

Toni handed Veronica a bottle of ginger ale and a bowl of pretzels. “How much do I owe you?” asked Veronica.

“Just put it on my tab, Tone,” said Sweet Pea.

“Can I get a Vanilla Coke and some peanuts, Toni?” asked Betty.

Toni nodded and started making Betty’s drink.

Sweet Pea unzipped his backpack and set it on the bar. “Veronica, while I’m gone go ahead and start reading the first chapter I marked in your book. If you have any questions and get confused, make a note of it. I’ll explain anything that confuses you when I come back.”

“Sounds good,” Veronica agreed.

“How long have the two of you been fooling around?” Toni handed Betty her drink. “I mean, I knew you were crushing on Veronica, Sweets, but I didn’t realize it was mutual until last night.”

Sweet Pea looked surprised. “I never told you I liked Veronica.”

“No, you told Fangs. Fangs told Jug. Jug told Betty. Betty told me.”

Veronica laughed. “Wow, that’s quite a game of telephone.”

“So Fangs told Jughead.” Sweet Pea looked very annoyed. “That dick!”

“Yeah, Fangs told Jughead.” Jughead put his arm around Betty’s shoulders and glowered. “And what did I tell you to do?”

“You told me to back off and not do anything,” Sweet Pea replied. “And I did do that.”

Veronica was surprised. All of them had known Sweet Pea was interested in her? She was surprised that Betty hadn’t clued her in.

Jughead raised his eyebrows. “Sure. That’s why you kissed her in front of the entire cafeteria, including her ex, and now she is here, with you, at The Whyte Wyrm. It doesn’t sound like you took me very seriously.” He sounded pissed off.

Betty looked over her shoulder, her brow furrowed. “Jug, we talked about this.” She turned to Sweet Pea with a smile. “Veronica has made it very clear to me that she wants to get to know you better. Jug and I are looking forward to spending time with you as a couple. In fact, we were hoping you would have dinner with us before the dance on Saturday night.”

Sweet Pea looked over at Veronica. “Would you like that, babe?”

“That would be great.” Veronica hugged Betty, unable to keep the wide grin from spreading across her face. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“I need to go meet Tall Boy.” Sweet Pea kissed Veronica’s cheek. “Start working on that Chem. We have a lot of ground to cover to get you caught up.” He walked off to meet with the other Serpent.

Veronica wondered what he was up to.

Jughead looked at Veronica. “I want to talk to you in private,” he snapped.

“Jug.” Betty looked over at her boyfriend and frowned. “You need to back off.”

“I am Veronica’s friend, too, Betts. I have her best interests at heart and I only want to make sure she knows what’s going on here.”

“Be nice,” Betty said warningly.

“Am I in trouble with you, Jug?” Veronica asked lightly. His intensity and anger was making her feel tense and nervous.

He jerked his head for her to follow him and she did. Jughead led her into a back room of the bar. It was some kind of storage room filled with liquor bottles.

“I don’t like this, you being with Sweet Pea. It’s way too fast for you to be this into each other. What’s it been, like a day?”

“Look, you already made it clear that you don’t approve of our relationship. Just back off, Jug. We like each other.”

Jughead shook his head. “I’m sure you think you do like Sweet Pea, Veronica. And I know he’s been seriously crushing on you since he first saw you. But these feelings aren’t real.”

“How the hell would you know what my feelings are? Or his?” Veronica was irritated.

“Because I’ve been there, Veronica! Hooking up with Sweet Pea on the rebound is not going to make your heart stop hurting,” Jughead said. “You’ll feel good now, sure. But then you’re going to have so many regrets.”

“I’m not you and Sweet Pea isn’t Toni,” Veronica snapped, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

Jughead’s eyes flashed with anger. “If you choose Sweet Pea, you’re putting yourself in the front line of a war. Don’t you understand that? Five kids, just like us, died when that bomb went off! It’s Northside against Southside in a very real way.”

“I fully understand the tensions that are going on right now!” Veronica was annoyed by his condescension. ”Did you miss Cheryl eviscerating me in front of everyone? You know Archie called me a Serpent slut, right? I understand what’s at stake, dating Sweet Pea. But I chose him anyway. Just like Betty chose you.”

“Yes, she did. And as a result, Betty is part of a world that is very dark. I wanted her to stay in the light, but it’s too late now.” Jughead gripped her shoulders and gently shook her. “Veronica, listen to me! This is not your world. Break it off with Sweet Pea and go back to the Northside. You don’t belong in the Southside, Veronica. You just don’t!”

Veronica pulled away from him. She’d been annoyed; now she was really angry. “I’m not breaking it off with Sweet Pea! You need to remember who my father is, Jug. I grew up with whispered conversations and mysterious envelopes of cash and loaded guns in strategic locations. I’m not some fragile creature you need to protect! I can handle myself in this situation. Just back off!”

Toni appeared in the doorway. “The boss is here, Jug. He wants to see you in his office, right now.”

Jughead nodded. “Fine.” He turned to Veronica and bit his lip. “Please, V. Please think about what I’ve said. It would kill Betty if anything happened to you because of us.” He brushed past Toni and walked out.

Toni walked over to Veronica. “That looked like a pretty intense conversation. You okay?”

Veronica sighed and rubbed her temples. “Jughead doesn’t want me here. He thinks I’m in danger.”

“You are.” Toni gave her a searching look. “But you’re not stupid. You already know that. The Serpents are a gang. We commit crimes. We rumble with other gangs. There was a lot of danger even before the bomb went off. But right now, there’s more trouble than I’ve ever seen before. Jughead is trying to look out for you.”

“He told me to break it off with Sweet Pea and go home.” Veronica was so mad. How could Jughead claim to be her friend and then try to push her around?

“That would be the smartest choice. You can still go back uptown and pretend none of this ever happened. Cut ties with Betty and Jug. Pass me by in the hall; pretend you don’t see me.” Toni shrugged. “I’m sure you could get your ex back if you wanted him. You could go back to your safe, Northside life. No one would blame you. It would hurt Sweet Pea, but he’d get over it. He’s been through a hell of a lot worse than just losing his girl.”

Veronica shook her head. “No, I’m not going anywhere. The people I care about are here. Betty. Jughead. Sweet Pea.” Veronica poked Toni in the shoulder. “You’re starting to grow on me, too, for some reason.”

Toni grinned at her. “Sounds like you’ve made your choice.”

“I have.”

Toni held up one finger. “Just one more thing, then. Sweet Pea, he puts up a good front. But he’s a sweetheart. Don’t hurt him.”

“I don’t want to do that.” That was the last thing that Veronica wanted to do. She wanted to make him happy, not bring him more pain.

“Just be careful with him. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

The two of them walked back to the bar area. Sweet Pea sat at the bar, chatting with Betty. Fangs and his girlfriend were there, too. Fangs had his arm wrapped around her waist. As always, Veronica found Melissa’s long, hot pink hair striking.

Fangs slapped Sweet Pea on the shoulder. “There’s your girl, man. It’s your moment.”

Melissa patted Sweet Pea on his arm. “Go get her, tiger.”

Sweet Pea walked over to her, carrying a leather jacket in one hand. “I have something very special for you.” He took a deep breath. “In unity there is strength, Veronica, and I want you to know that I will always make sure you are protected. This is a symbol of how seriously I take that.” He looked very nervous.

Veronica noticed that the room had become extremely quiet. Quite a few of the Serpents had drifted over in their direction. Whatever Sweet Pea was doing held great significance to all of them.

Sweet Pea held out a leather jacket to her. It looked a lot like Betty’s.

Veronica took it in her hands. It wasn’t new; it had the smooth, creamy feel of well broken in, old leather.

“I want you to wear a Serpent jacket and show the world that you’re my girl.” Sweet Pea’s eyes were fixed on hers.

“Oh wow.” Veronica was stunned. She flipped the jacket over. On the back was a large Southside Serpents patch that was just like the one on Sweet Pea’s jacket. A large patch above the snake said “PROPERTY OF” in large red letters.

“What does that mean, property of?” Veronica asked. Alarm bells went off in her head. “Property” did not have great connotations to her.

“Being Serpent property means that you are trusted,” Sweet Pea explained. “That you will keep your mouth shut about Serpent business. It means that your loyalty is not in question. If a Ghoulie or anyone else disrespects you, the Serpents will defend you as one of their own. If I die, they’ll make sure you are taken care of. But above all, it means that if you betray the club, my ass is on the line. Everything you do reflects on me.”

Veronica’s stomach clenched. She was in over her head. The people in the bar were closely watching the scene unfold. Sweet Pea’s face was shining and full of excitement. If she shot him down now, their relationship would be absolutely over.

Veronica knew a lot about keeping up appearances; she was a Lodge. She’d seen how her mother acted in front of her father’s business associates. You never made your man look bad. To do so would make him lose face. A loyal woman would never do that. She didn’t really have a choice if she wanted to be with Sweet Pea.

Veronica threw her arms around Sweet Pea and kissed him. The bar erupted in cheers.

“You’ve made me very happy.” He slid the jacket over her shoulders. It fit perfectly.

“We’ll have to talk more about this in private,” she whispered in his ear.

“Of course, baby doll.” Sweet Pea nuzzled her neck. “Now I can tell you anything. Everything.” He gave her the most gorgeous smile.

Veronica’s heart swelled with feeling. He wanted to be able to tell her his secrets. He trusted her. That was a scary prospect but it also felt wonderful.

“Patrick.” She kissed him, overwhelmed by affection for him.

A crowd of Serpents, slapping Sweet Pea on the back and congratulating him, surrounded them.

“So, what’s all this ruckus about?” FP walked down the stairs from the top floor of the bar. Jughead was close on his heels.

“Sweet Pea’s gone and found himself an old lady.” Tall Boy slammed his hand into Sweet Pea’s back.

“And who might the lucky lady be?” FP glanced at Veronica out of the corner of his eye. Jughead must have said something to him already.

Sweet Pea took Veronica’s hand and pulled her close. “This is Veronica,” he said proudly. “She’s my girl.”

“So you’re telling me,” FP said quietly, “that out of every chick in town, you decided that you wanted to put Hiram Lodge’s daughter in Serpent leathers?”

There was a buzz in the room and it didn’t sound good.

FP rubbed one hand over his face. “You fucking kids are going to get us all killed.” He grabbed Sweet Pea’s lapel and pulled him close. “Hiram Lodge will cut off my balls and give them to Hermione as earrings! How could you be so totally fucking stupid, Patrick? We finally settle this Penny Peabody crap and I can’t just relax for one second without one of you sex-crazed morons creating even more drama!”

“I’m not causing trouble for us with Hiram Lodge,” Sweet Pea protested. “We’ve met and I think we understand each other. It’s not going to be a problem, boss.”

FP shook his head. “No. This is over. Whatever you two have cooked up, it is done.” He turned to Veronica. “Give him the jacket back. The two of you are over.”

“No.” Veronica put her shoulders back and stared FP in the eye. She’d had enough of people trying to break up her relationship. It wasn’t anyone else’s business.

“You can’t say no to me,” FP growled. “I’m the leader of the Serpents! That’s a Serpent jacket on your back. You take it off, now. You need to go back uptown and stick with your own kind.”

Veronica lost her temper. “My own kind? Are kidding me? What kind is that, exactly?”

“Out you go.” FP made a shooing motion with his hands. “If you want to go slumming, go hang out with the Ghoulies over on Twelfth Street.”

“I’m not slumming, which is a very gross thing to say by the way,” Veronica argued. ”I’m here to be with Sweet Pea. He’s my boyfriend!”

FP shook his head. “No. Pick another boy to play with. Mine are off limits to you. You want to play jacket bunny, go pick a Ghoulie to be your boy toy. Get out of here!”

“That’s his old lady, FP,” Tall Boy protested. “She’s not just a piece of tail. She deserves our respect.” A few other Serpents chimed in, agreeing with him.

“I didn’t ask for commentary from the peanut gallery,” FP said, his voice hard. “Last time I checked, I was the boss here! Any of you want to challenge that?”

No one in the bar moved. Veronica felt the tension in the air.

“I told you to get out of here, girl,” FP snapped. “Get your stuff and get the hell out.”

Face flushing, Veronica grabbed her bag. Sweet Pea put his hand on her arm.

“I want her to stay,“ Sweet Pea said, his eyes on FP’s. “Veronica is my girl. She’s under my protection. She belongs here with me.”

FP raised his eyebrows. “That’s very chivalrous, Patrick. You want to stand up to me, show off to impress your girl, maybe?”

Sweet Pea shook his head. “I’ve made it clear that I absolutely respect your authority. But Veronica is important to me and I won’t let anyone insult her, sir, not even you."

FP clenched his jaw. “I think your brain is too clouded by hormones to think clearly. You need to come down a peg. Give me your jacket. Now.”

“What?” Sweet Pea’s eyes went wide.

“You’re suspended. I’m not going to screw over your grandma by taking away your share of the take; she didn’t mouth off at me. But you’re barred from the bar. All of your fellow Serpents will stay clear of you. You’re on your own, with no brothers or sisters at your back. You’ll have to win over your uptown girl with your personal charms and not Serpent leathers.”

Sweet Pea nodded and stripped off his leather jacket.

“Please don’t do that to him,” Veronica pleaded. She knew how important the Serpents were to Sweet Pea. She didn’t want to be the reason that he was separated from them.

“You!” FP pointed at Veronica. “You don’t call the shots here, do you understand me? We have a chain of authority and you have no place in it. Your father may treat me like his errand boy, but I’m not your fucking lapdog. Take your boy and get the hell out.”

Sweet Pea folded up his jacket and handed it to FP.

“Take your jacket off, baby,” he said quietly.

Veronica took her jacket off and handed it to FP. He smiled at her and Veronica felt like slapping his smug face. He’d won and he knew it.

Sweet Pea picked up his backpack from the bar and took Veronica’s hand. The crowd of Serpents stepped back as they passed by and there was complete silence as they left. Sweet Pea never looked back as they walked out of the Whyte Wyrm.

“I’m so sorry, Patrick.” Veronica felt terrible that she had caused so much trouble for him, simply because of who she was. She stopped just outside the front door of the bar. “It’s not too late for you to go back in and try to work things out.”

Sweet Pea shook his head. “I’ll talk to the boss when he’s cooled down. But I stand by my decision. You’re the one that I want, Veronica. I’m not giving you up.” He leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss. “When things get hard, you need to know that I will always stand by you.”

Just as they began the walk to Sweet Pea’s car, a small white pickup truck stopped on the street in front of the Whyte Wyrm. Someone dressed in the Riverdale Bulldogs mascot costume got out, carrying a large box. The truck was still running as the Bulldog set it down on the curb. Then the mascot ran back to the truck and floored it, speeding away.

“That was weird.” Veronica walked over to the box. The package had no name on it.

“Doll, what are you doing?”

“Why the hell would someone from Riverdale High just dump a box in front of the Whyte Wyrm? Especially dressed in a costume?”

The hairs on the back of Veronica’s neck stood up. Not a costume. A _disguise_. Veronica took a deep breath and grabbed Sweet Pea’s arm. “Run!”

“What?” He looked at her like she was nuts.

“It’s a bomb, Patrick!” She started running as fast as she could, pulling him back toward the bar. Holy crap, there was a fucking bomb! Veronica was filled with adrenaline; she needed to warn everyone that they were in danger.

“Oh fuck!” He sped up, his long legs pumping as he ran, and she tried to keep up with him.

FP put down his beer when he saw them running in. “I don’t know what you kids think-“

“There’s a fucking bomb out front! Get out! Run!” Veronica yelled, waving her arms. She sounded as hysterical as she felt.

“Get out! Get the fuck out!” Sweet Pea screamed. He wasn’t keeping his cool in a crisis, either.

FP’s eyes went wide. “Get out! Everyone fucking scatter!” His eyes searched the room. “Jughead, move your ass!”

Jughead slammed his laptop shut, grabbed Betty’s hand and they bolted for the back door.

“Everyone out!” Tall Boy yelled. “No Serpent left behind!”

Fangs and Melissa ran past. They were each carrying what looked like a large metal suitcase.

“Where’s Toni?” Veronica stopped to look around the room.

“I’m right here, uptown. Run!” Toni was wearing a large backpack that looked stuffed to the gills. She pulled the fire alarm on the wall as she ran toward the back of the building.

Sweet Pea grabbed their Serpent jackets off the pool table, took Veronica’s hand and ran towards the exit. Her cell phone fell out of her pocket and bounced away. She saw a Serpent running past kick it under the pool table. Her concern about losing her phone was dwarfed by her fear that the building would blow up around them.

Serpents streamed out from a warren of back rooms and booked it towards the rear of the building. They all ran out of the back door, past the parking lot, and up the tall hill that overlooked the bar. Within minutes, the entire gang was gathered there, waiting. In the distance they could hear the wail of sirens.

Sweet Pea held Veronica close as they stared down at the bar. She looked around at all the pale, tense faces. Everyone was scared, even the most hardened and scary looking biker there.

“Is everyone out?” FP called out. “Are we all here? Count off, Serpents!”

They did, all forty-three of them. “We are missing men,” FP said sharply.

“Darren and Long Neck are over in Greendale,” said Tall Boy. “Mickey’s at the lab. Joaquin is over at the House of the Dead meeting with Malachai and one of his bitches.”

“So we’re all accounted for.” FP exhaled, his shoulders relaxing.

Minutes passed and nothing happened. The sound of sirens grew closer.

“Maybe I was wrong,” Veronica said to FP. “But I just had a really bad feeling about that box.” She’d never had such a strong intuition in her life, that something was very wrong. Her father had always told her to trust her gut, if she sensed she was in danger.

Just then the bomb detonated. The Whyte Wyrm exploded in a cloud of white smoke, scattering debris all over Third Avenue.


	6. Sex and Candy

Veronica sat across the table from Sheriff Keller at the police station. Initially friendly, he was now openly glaring at her. She watched the clock behind his head move; the seconds were ticking away, a gentle click marking each one.

“Miss Lodge,” he said impatiently. “You are not a suspect in this case. Your failure to cooperate with me is truly astonishing.”

“As I have told you repeatedly, my parents have made it very clear that I am not to speak with a law enforcement officer unless they, or our family attorney, are present.” She was tired of saying it; she’d said it at least eight times already.

“You’re not suspected of a crime,” he repeated. “All I want is your eyewitness statement.”

“Which I will happily provide once my parents or my attorney are present.” Veronica didn’t mind waiting. She’d rather make Sheriff Keller angry than upset her father, any day. These rules had been drilled into her since childhood. Keep your mouth shut and you would have nothing to regret later.

Veronica examined her fingernails. She’d chipped her pinky and her middle finger. She definitely needed to hit up Chez Nails before the dance. She’d have to see if Betty and Toni wanted to come with her.

“Miss Lodge,” Keller said irritably. “I am not used to being ignored.”

“I am not ignoring you. I am simply waiting in your presence.”

He got up, stomped across the room and slammed the door.

Veronica looked at the clock. She’d been sitting here for an hour. Her phone had blown up with the Whyte Wyrm. She had no way of knowing whether Keller had actually called her parents or not. She got up, opened the door and walked out.

She found the ladies room, used it, and took the opportunity to touch up her makeup while she was in there. The fluorescent lights in the bathroom were horrible; she looked half dead. Veronica frowned at her reflection, added a bit more blush and fluffed her hair.

Back in the hallway, she found a vending machine. She was trying to choose between a Diet Coke and a bottle of water when she heard a door slam nearby. She peeked around the corner just in time to see Sweet Pea walking in front of a deputy.

Roughly, the deputy shoved him in a chair in the hallway. “Don’t move a muscle until I get back, punk.” The deputy turned and left, the door closing behind him.

Veronica hurried to Sweet Pea’s side. “Are you okay?” she asked him. He looked tired and annoyed.

He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. “I’m fine. I just want to get the hell out of this place.”

“Believe me, so do I.” Veronica sat down in the chair next to Sweet Pea and held his hand. “Did you give Keller a statement?”

Sweet Pea shook his head. “Not a word. You heard what FP said to me when the cops showed up: keep my mouth zipped until the public defender arrived. I know my rights, doll. During questioning, once you ask for legal counsel, they’re supposed to stop asking. Keller didn’t.”

Veronica squeezed his hand. “Have you been arrested?”

“No, but they’re threatening to charge me with obstructing a criminal investigation.” He sighed deeply. “This is such bullshit, babe.”

“I totally agree. Keller’s up to something but I don’t know what. I’ve told Keller repeatedly that I won’t say a word until my parents arrive with our attorney. I’m not sure he even called them, though. If they knew I was being questioned, they would have been here by now.” If her father and mother thought she was in trouble, Veronica knew they would drop everything else to come to her aid. Something wasn’t right.

Sweet Pea pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I don’t trust Keller at all. Call them, babe.”

Veronica quickly dialed her mother.

“Hello?” Hermione answered breathlessly.

Veronica spoke quickly, knowing that the deputy could return any minute. “ _Mami_ , I’m at the police station with Patrick. We were both at the Whyte Wyrm when the bomb went off, but we’re not hurt."

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief. “ _Gracias a Dios_! We’ve been so worried about you.”

“Sheriff Keller said he called you, but I knew you and Daddy would have rushed tight over if that was true.”

“No, that _pendejo_ didn’t call us!” Hermione fumed. “Don’t worry, Veronica. Your father and I will be there right away.”

“Please bring Mr. Ryan too. Keller and his deputies are being overly aggressive and I’m uncomfortable.”

“We will handle it,” Hermione said firmly. “Keep your mouth closed and wait for the attorney before you speak.”

“We haven’t said a word to the cops,” Veronica assured her mother.

“That’s perfect, _pobrecita_. We love you. Don’t worry; we will be there soon.” Hermione ended the call.

Veronica handed Sweet Pea his phone. “They’re on their way with the lawyer.

“You are pretty magnificent in a crisis, doll.” He kissed her cheek. “Unfazed by a fucking bomb. Calling in the damn cavalry. You’re the best.”

She smiled at him. “I learned from the best. My parents have been dealing with this crap my entire life. I know how the squeaky wheel of justice works. The Lodges are pros at greasing it.” She had an unwelcome thought. “Do you have anything on you that will get you in more trouble if they search you?”

He raised an eyebrow and whispered in her ear. “Definitely. There’s a switchblade in my pocket, another in my boot and a bag of jingle jangle in my jacket.”

“Concealed weapons and a Schedule I drug. Great.” Veronica sighed. “Honey, when you get out of here, we’re going to have a long talk.” She unzipped her purse and put it on his lap. “Take off your jacket and use it as cover while you put that stuff in my bag.” She assumed that there was a security camera somewhere recording them. Better to look suspicious than to be plainly seen with drugs or weapons.

Sweet Pea did as she had suggested and put his arm around her, pulling her close. He brushed a kiss against her ear. “Done,” he whispered.

When he slipped his jacket back on, she stood up and grabbed her bag. “I’d better get back. Just relax; it’ll all be fine. Once Daddy sets the sheriff straight, I’ll make sure he does the same for you. We’ll be eating dinner at Chez Henri within the hour. You can time it.”

Sweet Pea gave Veronica an admiring smile. “You have a lot of confidence, don’t you?”

“It’s not my first rodeo.” With a last kiss for her man, Veronica went back to the soda machine, bought her Diet Coke, and returned to the interrogation room. She had just cracked it open when Sheriff Keller returned, carrying a folder.

Keller sat down across from Veronica and made heavy eye contact for a long, uncomfortable moment. She could tell from his expression that he’d decided to try another tactic. Dramatically, he placed the folder in front of him and opened it. Veronica wasn’t impressed by his dramatics. She’d seen her dad in action; now there was a master at work.

Keller took out a picture from the folder and turned it towards her. It was a faded color photograph of a young man who looked very much like Sweet Pea. His face wasn’t quite as strong; his hair was light brown and slightly curly. He had the same fantastic smile though, even though it was clearly a mugshot. There was a date board behind his head: July 2, 1985.

“This is Robert Flannery.” Keller tapped the photo with his finger. “He was your friend Patrick’s father. This photo is from his arrest as an undergrad at Carson College in Riverdale. He was charged with the manufacture of MDMA, a street drug better known as Ecstasy.”

Veronica had no idea where Keller was going with this.

“Flannery was a hell of a gifted chemist and he had some very loyal friends. The charges against him were dropped. His advisors at Carson swore under oath that Robert had created the Ecstasy under the auspices of university research before federal law declared MDMA a Schedule I drug. Due to this fancy legal footwork, Robert walked away with no criminal record. Which enabled him to get a teaching license in New Mexico and teach high school in Albuquerque for twenty-eight years.”

Veronica remembered that Sweet Pea’s father had taught high school chemistry. His book was in her bag right now. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked curiously.

Keller slapped the folder. “Because the detective working Flannery’s case firmly believed that Flannery was the one supplying Ecstasy to a gang here in Riverdale. Specifically, the Southside Serpents.”

“But as you just explained, that was never proven.” Veronica had no idea what had been happening in Riverdale in the mid-1980s, but as far as she knew, the Serpents weren’t the drug dealers in Riverdale. That was the Ghoulies.

“It’s funny, Miss Lodge. The state drug lab has analyzed the jingle jangle that’s been all over the Southside in recent months. The JJ, as you kids call it, has now turned up in the Northside too, as you know. It wasn’t too long ago that you and your friends were caught red-handed using it. Reggie Mantle wouldn’t tell us who he bought the drug from, other than it was a Southside Serpent. But I now believe that he bought it from the person who made it: Patrick Flannery.” Keller gave her a smug smile. He was clearly really proud of this deduction.

“You think that Sweet Pea makes jingle jangle?” The idea was preposterous. “And that he sold it to Reggie Mantle?” There was just no way. Sweet Pea and Reggie absolutely hated each other, from every interaction she’d seen.

Keller smiled; he’d obviously thought he’d hit a nerve. Veronica was reminded to keep her mouth shut.

“Patrick Flannery is a chemist and a genius, as we recently discussed after the cafeteria fight,” Keller continued. “Jingle jangle is a close cousin of MDMA. Patrick could very well have learned how to cook this drug from his father; the chemical analysis of Robert’s MDMA and jingle jangle is nearly identical. I firmly believe that the person supplying Riverdale with this dangerous drug is Patrick Flannery.”

“But what about the Sugarman?” Veronica argued. “That Southside teacher, Mr. Phillips? The Black Hood killed him for being the one who was responsible for supplying the Jingle jangle!”

The Sheriff shook his head. “Phillips was the one providing jingle jangle to the local dealers, but he didn’t have the skill set to make the drug. He was a red herring. Whoever is making jingle jangle is still out there. The amount of that drug on the streets has gone up since Phillips’s death, not down. And I know why: Patrick Flannery. There aren’t a whole lot of people in the Southside who have the skills to do what he’s done.”

Veronica bit her lip. Right now, she had a bag full of jingle jangle in her purse, thanks to Sweet Pea. But she didn’t believe that he was the one creating it or selling it. Everyone knew that the Ghoulies dealt JJ, not the Serpents. Veronica couldn’t believe that Jughead or Betty would have anything to do with that sort of thing, either. Keller was talking out of his ass.

Keller leaned forward. “So you see, I owe you my thanks. You are the one that brought Patrick Flannery to my attention with your mention of his scholarship to MIT. That was a major break in my case. I am collecting evidence against him as we speak.”

Veronica shrugged, refusing to let him see how much he rattled her. “Good luck with that.”

The door to the room opened and Veronica’s parents walked in. Veronica was relieved to see them. “Daddy.” Veronica got up and ran to her father and he wrapped her into a tight hug.

Veronica saw that her father had tears in his eyes. “I thought the worst, princess. When I saw that a bomb had exploded at the Whyte Wyrm and we couldn’t reach you on your phone, I panicked. Thank God you are okay.” He reached out and cupped her face. His lip trembled with emotion. “Thank God you are safe.”

Veronica had never seen her father so undone. “I’m fine, Daddy. Totally fine. I dropped my phone at the bar before it blew up,” Veronica explained.

“You took years off our lives today, _mija_.” Hermione closed her arms around her daughter and husband. Veronica noticed her mother was shaking. “We were so scared we’d lost you.”

“I’m fine,” she assured them. Her heart swelled with love. Her parents weren’t perfect, but she knew how much they cared for her. The Lodges held each other tight.

“I hate to break up this heartwarming scene,” Sheriff Keller said dryly. “But I am not done speaking with your daughter.”

Hiram turned to the sheriff, his face hard once more. “Tom, why is my daughter here?”

“She was an eyewitness to the explosion,” Keller explained. “She and Patrick Flannery were, apparently, the only ones who saw the device before it detonated.”

Hiram looked at Veronica for confirmation. “It’s true,” replied Veronica.

Her father nodded. “Hermione, Veronica, let’s sit. My attorney, Derek Ryan, will be here shortly, Tom. Just wait a few minutes more, please.”

Shortly after that, Mr. Ryan arrived. Veronica had known him all her life. “Hello, Ronnie. It’s been too long.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

With the lawyer at the conference table, the interrogation began.

“Princess, please tell the sheriff what you saw,” asked Hiram.

Veronica described everything from the moment she saw the box until the detonation of the Whyte Wyrm.

“What I do not understand, Miss Lodge, is what business an underage girl had in a bar on the Southside,” said Sheriff Keller.

“I was visiting with friends,” Veronica clarified. It was completely true, while not really clarifying anything.

Keller’s eyebrows rose. “Since when do you have friends in the Serpent organization, Miss Lodge?”

“I don’t believe that my daughter’s friends are relevant to your investigation of the bombing,” Hiram said crisply.

“They are if your daughter has ties to organized crime,” argued Keller.

“I would be very careful making a statement like that, Sheriff,” Mr. Ryan said warningly.

“Frankly, Hiram, I’m surprised that you have permitted your daughter to run around town with a Southside Serpent. They haven’t been circumspect. I had multiple sources confirm that your daughter and Patrick Flannery are involved in an intimate relationship.”

“My personal life is none of your business!” Veronica spat angrily. “And I resent the invasive questions. Instead of attacking me and prying into things that are none of your business, why don’t you start looking into who was wearing the Bulldog costume?"

Keller leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “It’s very convenient, Miss Lodge, that you can point the finger for the bombing to someone at Riverdale High. Since as we both know, you had a recent altercation with several of the Riverdale athletes. You may well have an axe to grind with them.”

“I am not pointing a finger at Reggie Mantle or anyone else,” said Veronica. “All I did was tell you what I saw. I have no idea who might have been inside that mascot costume. Anyone could have been.

“But your testimony points towards Riverdale High and the athletic teams in particular.” Keller looked at her, his eyes piercing. “I understand that Archie Andrews recently broke off your relationship. It would be a good way to punish him, to have him accused of a crime and hauled into this station.”

“I don’t bear any ill will towards Archie.” Veronica honestly wished he wasn’t being such an asshole. “I would never lie simply to fulfill some... vendetta against an ex-boyfriend. I resent your implication.”

“He publicly called you a Serpent slut,” Keller said with a suggestive smirk. “I’m sure that you would like to get some payback for that.”

Hiram stood up. “You watch your mouth, Tom!” He took Veronica’s arm in his. “We’re done here.”

“I’m not done speaking with her!” Keller protested.

Veronica and her father stepped outside the room. Hiram pulled her aside. “So you and Patrick are dating?” he whispered. “I thought there was something between the two of you.”

“Yes, Daddy, Patrick is my boyfriend.”

He looked at her with a frown. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“It’s all very new,” Veronica whispered. “But I need you to help him. He’s being held for questioning. The public defender is supposed to be coming, but you know that’s not going to help him.”

“No, Patrick needs to be extricated from this situation immediately.” Hiram turned to Sheriff Keller, who had just walked out of the interrogation room. “Where’s Patrick Flannery being held? Has he been charged?”

“He’s being detained until I’m finished asking him questions,” Keller replied.

Hiram shook his head. “No. Charge him or let him go, Tom. Right now.”

Keller frowned. “First, I want to know is what your daughter was doing down at the Whyte Wyrm. I think I deserve an answer to that question.”

Hiram’s eyes flashed. “If my daughter hadn’t been down in the Southside, a lot of innocent people would have died today. You should be thanking her, not interrogating her.”

“The fact that you classify a gang of criminals as innocent people is a curious choice, Hiram.” Keller crossed his arms and glared at Veronica’s father. “I thought we understood each other, but I wonder now if that’s still the case.”

Mr. Ryan turned toward Hiram. “I think that we’ve reached the end of fruitful conversation with the sheriff, Mr. Lodge. Why don’t you and your family wait out front while I make arrangements for the release of young Mr. Flannery?”

“An excellent idea,” Hermione said smoothly. She put her arms around Hiram and Hermione and led them out into the waiting room at the front of the police station.

“Princess, do you want the same phone you had before? There is a newer model out now.”

“Whatever I can get quickly,” said Veronica. “I need my phone as soon as possible, please.” The idea of being without her texts and group chats was a real drag. She felt disconnected and wanted to make sure Betty and Jughead were okay.

Hiram nodded and placed a call on his phone. He stood up and paced back and forth as he spoke.

“So,” Hermione said softly. “I take it that you and Patrick are an item, _mija_?”

“Patrick and I are dating,” Veronica confirmed. “I really care about him, mom.” She smiled, thinking of him.

A small smile lightened Hermione’s expression. “I can understand why. He’s a very smart young man. He reminds me a lot of his father.”

“Mom, was Robert Flannery a Serpent?” Veronica couldn’t help thinking of what the sheriff had said.

Hermione nodded. “Bobby was a Serpent. He was tight with FP, Alice, and Craig; they were all from our old neighborhood in the Southside. Your aunt Helen, she was part of that group, too. I was in a different crowd, along with Patrick’s aunt Shannon. We hung out with Fred Andrews, Matt Mantle, Sierra, and Mary. I stuck to the Northside, tried to stay out of that drama as much as I could.”

“I’d heard that Alice Cooper was a Serpent. Is that true?” asked Veronica. Sweet Pea had said there were some notorious stories about Alice’s past.

Hermione shook her head. “Not exactly. There was no such thing as a female Serpent back then. Serpents were men, exclusively. Alice was Craig’s old lady; a Serpent by association, at most. Craig’s club name was Tall Boy,” Hermione explained and Veronica’s eyes widened as she recognized the name. “Helen told me that they were really hot and heavy until Alice fell for Hal Cooper. That’s when she gave Craig back her Serpent jacket and became someone entirely different.”

“I wonder if Betty knows all of this,” said Veronica. She was fascinated that boring, stuck up Alice had such an interesting past. It explained why Alice hadn’t hit the roof when Betty joined a gang; she didn’t have a leg to stand on, with a Serpent past of her own.

“Alice Cooper has spent a lot of time hiding her roots,” answered Hermione. “The last thing she would do would be to air her dirty laundry to her own child.”

“You never tell me about your past,” Veronica said wistfully. “I love hearing these stories about when you were growing up. I’d love to hear more, _Mami_.”

Hermione sighed and smoothed down Veronica’s hair. “It’s painful for me, _mija_. My mom; my dad; my sister; they’re all gone now. Many of these memories- they are very bittersweet.”

Hiram ended his call and sat next to Veronica. “Andre is picking up your new phone as we speak. You’ll have it when we return to the Pembrooke.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” Her father could be very considerate. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

The inner door opened and Sweet Pea walked out with Mr. Ryan. He was smiling. Veronica’s tension melted away and she let out a heavy breath; he was fine and he was free.

Sweet Pea walked over to Hiram and shook his hand. “Thank you for getting me out of there, Mr. Lodge.” He turned to Mr. Ryan. “Thank you very much, sir.”

“No charges,” Mr. Ryan told Hiram. “I let Keller take his statement.” He pulled out his business card and wrote a cell phone number on the back. “Keep my number handy, Patrick. If you run into something like this again, you call me right away.” He handed the card to Sweet Pea.

“Thanks, but I’m pretty sure I can’t afford you.” Sweet Pea shrugged. “I’m sure that an hour of your time today is going to be a big hit to my savings. Not that I’m not very, very grateful for your help,” he said hurriedly.

“Mr. Ryan’s services are on me.” Hiram slapped Sweet Pea on the back. “If you’re in trouble, you call him. Do not hesitate.”

Veronica was suspicious. Her parents had only just found out she was seeing Patrick. Why was her father being so friendly to him? Offering the family lawyer to Sweet Pea, unconditionally, was like welcoming her new boyfriend into their family.

“Thank you, sir.” Sweet Pea smiled at Hiram. “I’m very grateful for your support.”

Sweet Pea took Veronica’s hand and they walked out of the police station hand-in-hand. The sun was setting and the sky was aflame with pink and orange light.

“It’s been a stressful day. Let’s all dine together at Chez Henri,” Hermione suggested.

Sweet Pea shook his head. “I wish I could join you for dinner, Mrs. Lodge, but I can’t. I have to get down to what’s left of the Whyte Wyrm. The fire department condemned the place and they won’t let us in. As soon as the sun goes down, we need to salvage as much as we can as quickly as we can.”

“If the building has been condemned, won’t that be dangerous for you?” Veronica was worried for his safety.

“We’ll all be very careful,” Sweet Pea assured her.

“I’m sure your grandmother is worried sick about you,” said Hermione. “Surely you want to see her before you go back to meet the Serpents?”

Sweet Pea sighed. “Damn, yeah. In all this excitement, I wasn’t thinking straight. I need to get Grandma her dinner and make sure she’s settled in for the evening before I go back out.”

“We’ll drop you off,” said Hiram. He opened the rear door of his Lexus and Veronica and Sweet Pea slid inside.

On the car ride, Sweet Pea held Veronica’s hand tightly in his. Veronica looked at his face. Could he really have done what Keller suspected him of? She needed to ask him about this, for her own peace of mind.

When they reached Sweet Pea’s house, Veronica followed him out of the car. “I’ll be just a minute, Mom, Dad. I need a quick word with Patrick,” said Veronica. She followed him up the brick walkway to the house. She passed two garden statues: one of the Virgin Mary, her hands outstretched, and another of Saint Francis, feeding the animals.

Compared to other houses on the street, The Flannery home was pristine. The house was freshly painted in a bright blue with crisp white shutters. On either side of the front door were black wicker baskets filled with poinsettias.

Veronica stopped on Sweet Pea’s front porch and took both of his hands in hers. “I really care about you, Patrick.”

“I care about you too, Veronica.” His eyes were full of emotion.

She took a deep breath. “Patrick, you wanted to give me that Serpent jacket so that there wouldn’t be any secrets between us.”

“I did,” Sweet Pea affirmed. “I know things didn’t go well today with FP, but I’m sure he will come around. He’s already asked me to come tonight. That’s a good sign.”

Veronica smiled. It was good that FP had called Sweet Pea; she knew how much the Serpents meant to him. “We saved everyone today, Patrick. That’s huge. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened, if we hadn’t seen that box being dropped off.”

He squeezed her hands. “That was all you, Veronica. You’re the one who ran back into danger. You’re one in a million.” He kissed her, his lips soft against hers. He was so good and sweet and kind. How could she believe what Keller had told her? She didn’t, but she needed to know.

She ended the kiss. “I need to ask you a question, right now, and I need you to be honest with me.”

He smiled at her, his eyes full of affection. “I will always be honest with you, doll.”

“I hope so.” Veronica pulled Sweet Pea’s face down to hers and she kissed him longingly. He tasted so sweetly, of warmth and cinnamon. She loved the way that he kissed her, the feel of his hands on her waist. He had become so important to her in such a short time.

He broke the kiss, his eyes seeking hers. “Veronica, that kiss felt a lot like goodbye. What’s going on?”

She looked up at him. “I need to know if you’re making the jingle jangle, Patrick.”

She knew the answer immediately when she saw the look in his eyes and the truth hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Yes,” he said softly. “I am.”

Veronica was stunned. How could it be true? “How could you make drugs?” she asked, her voice breaking. “You’re going to wind up in prison, Patrick!”

“That’s not going to happen,” he said confidently.

Sweet Pea was risking his life and his future- and hers. If he was arrested, Keller would drag her, and her family, into his investigation. Her parents would never forgive her, for putting them all at risk. “I can’t be with someone who deals drugs, Patrick. I just can’t.” She turned around to walk away.

He grabbed her hand. “Don’t do this! Just hear me out. Meet me tonight, when I’m done at the Wyrm, and we’ll talk it though.” His voice was deep, his tone intense. “Please, Veronica.”

“Fine.” Wiping a tear from her eye, she turned to walk back towards her parent’s car, her heels tapping on the pavement. In that moment, she knew that she’d been falling in love with Sweet Pea. As she walked away from him, she felt her heart breaking.

****

Veronica ate dinner with her parents at home. The conversation was stilted. She had no appetite and she didn’t want to talk. All she wanted was to curl up in her bed and be alone. She’d always had the ability to put a smile on her face and hide away her pain. Her breakup with Archie hadn’t hurt this much. But cutting ties with Sweet Pea had cut her to the bone. She couldn’t even pretend that she was all right.

Hermione cleared the plates and brought out the dessert dishes. Veronica picked at a lemon tart. One of her favorites, she had no desire to take even one bite.

“Your father and I will be leaving for Saint Bernadette’s in fifteen minutes for the Rite of Reconciliation,” her mother said quietly. “I would like it very much if you would attend with us.”

The last time they had attended Mass together was before her father’s arrest. Veronica remembered every minute of that service. She had sat between her parents and at some point, each of them had held her hand. It had been the last truly happy moment they had shared as a family for a very long time.

“Your mother and I both come from very strong religious traditions. When you were born, we agreed to give you that same source of solace and strength,” Hiram said slowly. “When you were younger, we made a priority of attending Mass together as a family. I think it is time to strengthen those commitments.”

“We realize that our family has undergone a great amount of turmoil in the last year.” Hermione sipped on her Chardonnay. “Your father and I want nothing more than to strengthen our commitment to each other and you.”

“Princess, we used to be so close.” Veronica was dismayed as she watched her father’s eyes fill with tears. “You used to tell me everything. You are the joy of my life, _mija_ , God’s greatest blessing to us. Today, when I thought I’d lost you...” He choked up, unable to speak.

Veronica got up from her seat and hugged her father tight. “Daddy. I’m right here. Nothing happened to me.” She’d never seen her father so undone. She’d scared the hell out of him today.

“By God’s grace, you are here with us.” Hiram kissed Veronica’s forehead and wiped away his tears. “Everything we have is by God’s grace. I have let other less important matters cloud that truth. We need to place this family back on the right path. We are going to Mass this Sunday and I would like for all of us to be in an appropriate state of grace to take Communion.”

Well, they all had plenty to confess. Veronica couldn’t argue with that. “I’m not really up to going out,” she protested weakly. She needed to wait for Sweet Pea to call. Her stomach plummeted, thinking about the breakup that was seemingly inevitable. How could she let him go? But how could she stay with him, knowing what he did?

“We are your parents. We can only do so much for you. But God can do anything, Veronica. He can move mountains and make miracles happen.” Her mother kissed her forehead. She handed Veronica a small leather case “Veronica, this belonged to my mother. I want you to have it now.”

“Oh, _mami_.” Veronica was touched. To receive something that had belonged to the _abuelita_ she’d never known was so meaningful to her. She opened the case and pulled out a rosary. It smelled strongly of roses. The rosary beads were small and reddish brown: dried rose petals. The rosary medallion and the crucifix were made of intricately worked silver. It was incredibly beautiful.

“My mother had this rosary made of the rose petals from my sister’s funeral flowers,” Hermione said softly. “My sister Helen was sixteen when she died down in the Southside. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She loved a Serpent, you see, and she was by his side when he was killed. Two bullets was all it took; two bullets to kill them both.”

Veronica’s blood ran cold.

“Alice and FP were five feet from my sister. Maybe less. They both survived. My sister? She was gone by the time the ambulance arrived. Because of love.” Hermione took a sip of her wine. “Because of hate.”

“We thank God that you did not share your aunt’s fate.” Hiram stood up. “And with our prayers, we will demonstrate that gratitude. Get dressed in something suitable for church, Veronica.”

****

Veronica knelt in the pew at Saint Bernadette’s between her parents. She closed her eyes and listened to the priest read from the Bible about sin and repentance. As the Rite of Reconciliation ended, each parishioner got up, one by one, and walked to the confessional booth for their individual confessions.

As she waited her turn, the chapel was completely quiet and the light was dim. The lit candles cast flickering shadows against the wall. Veronica stared at the face of the Virgin Mary as it shifted from darkness to light and back again.

Veronica’s mother returned and tapped her on the shoulder. It was her turn to meet with the priest.

She walked through the chapel, entered the confessional booth and knelt down.

“Good evening,” said Father Mike. His voice was calm and soothing.

“Good evening,” Veronica replied. She made the sign of the cross and took a deep breath. She’d waited too long to come to confession and now it was excruciatingly hard to know where to begin.

“May the Lord help you to confess your sins,” the priest prompted her.

She exhaled loudly. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been over a year since my last confession.” She didn’t know where to even start. Well, you were supposed to start with your mortal sins. “I have committed the sin of fornication. Sixteen times.” She mentally counted again. “Seventeen times."

“The sins of the flesh are tempting, but you must resolve to avoid them.”

“I do try,” Veronica replied. She admitted to herself that she used sex to deflect; to distract. It was easier to take someone’s clothes off than to open up emotionally. Her relationship with Archie had proven that over and over again. With Sweet Pea, there had been an intense attraction, but they’d connected on a deeper level. Her heart hurt all over again, thinking of how easy it had been to share her feelings with him.

“Try harder, my child,” he said dryly. “What other sins would you like to confess?”

“I haven’t been to Mass for a year. I’ve been kind of...mad at God.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

“Terrible things have happened to my family,” Veronica explained. “I felt like God turned his back on us.”

“Do you truly believe that is the case?” he asked.

Veronica thought for a moment. “No,” she admitted. “The bad things that happened to us, they were not God’s fault. My parents are to blame. My father is a criminal and my mother is an adulterer.” She felt guilty for saying that out loud, even to a priest.

“The Bible commands us to honor our father and mother, not to judge them. Judgment is God’s responsibility, not yours.”

“That is true.” Veronica sighed. “I used to keep them on a pedestal and I adored both of them so much. But I found out the truth and it just tarnished my love for them, my respect. I know they love me, but can’t seem to find my way back to how I felt before.”

“Then you must pray to God to restore peace and harmony in your family.” The priest coughed quietly. “Excuse me. Have you other sins to confess, my child?”

“Lust. Greed. Pride. Anger. Pretty much all of the big ones.” Veronica sighed as she mentally reviewed the many, many sins she’d committed in the last year. “I’m just broken, Father. I’m a horrible mess.”

“We are all God’s children. He loves each one of us, despite our flaws.”

“I want so badly to be a good person,” Veronica spoke passionately. “I want to be the caring and strong and brave; full of love and kindness. But my head is filled with all this other garbage and I just feel like I will never be truly good.”

“My dear, you must pray for clarity and strength to come to you. With God’s help, you will know with certainty which path to choose, the path of righteousness and not of sin.”

“I don’t trust my own judgment any more. I make mistakes all the time.” Thoughts of Sweet Pea overwhelmed her and her heart hurt. “I’m falling in love with a man and I know I can’t be with him. He’s a criminal and he does things I can’t condone. But it’s so hard, Father. He has such a good and caring heart. I know I should end things with him but I just feel like if I do, it will be a horrible mistake.” She was so torn between trying to be good and following her heart.

“When we become adults, we must set aside a childish view of the world,” the priest said softly. “Perhaps God has called you to make this person stronger in His love, to live a better life. Perhaps God is drawing this person into your life to encourage the things that you value, to help you become strong and caring and brave.”

Veronica knew in her heart that was true. She felt that in Sweet Pea’s presence: they brought out the best in each other. They accepted each other just as they were.

“My child, you must love your parents, even if you do not accept the darker sides of their nature. You must embrace love where God has sparked it, for God is never wrong.”

Veronica could not do both; she could not embrace love for Sweet Pea and love for her parents. If she chose Sweet Pea, she put her family at risk. As much as she cared about him, she had to set her feelings aside. Family loyalty always came first. “Thank you, Father. That ends my confession of sins.”

“Do you resolve to avoid these sins in the future and try to walk more closely with God?” asked Father Mike.

Veronica wanted with her whole heart to be a better person. “I do.”

“For your penance, please recite the rosary fifteen times. Make your act of contrition now.”

Veronica left the confessional and took her place in the pew between her parents. They were performing their penance as well, praying the rosary with heads bowed. They were all sinners, the Lodges, Veronica realized, each and every one. She was no better than her parents. They deserved her love and her respect.

Veronica closed her eyes and prayed the rosary. The sweet smell of roses filled the air. It was the smell of love and loss and regret.

****

It was one o’clock in the morning when Veronica received the text from Sweet Pea.

_I’m free. Can we meet?_

Veronica took a deep breath. She should just say ‘no’ and end things with a clean break. But she wanted to see him, to hear what he had to say. So she replied:

_Meet me at Pop’s in fifteen minutes._

Right on time, Veronica slammed the door of her taxi and walked up the front steps of Pop’s. Sweet Pea was sitting in a booth, alone. His Serpent jacket was back on. Another was folded on the table: hers. She noticed that he was nervously twisting a straw back and forth in his hands. She’d never seen him look so unsettled.

Veronica slid into the booth across from him. “I’m glad to see you’re safe and sound.”

“Thanks for meeting me.” He couldn’t even meet her eyes.

The waitress came over. Veronica ordered a chocolate malt; Sweet Pea ordered the same.

As soon as they were alone, he started talking before she could say anything at all. “Yes, I am the one making the JJ,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’ve been doing it for two years.”

“How could you do that?” Veronica’s voice was soft, but filled with all the disappointment she felt. “You’re a drug dealer? Seriously? I can’t believe that you would do that. I understand that you need to support your family. But I can’t condone drugs. You’re putting lives at risk. People have died from taking Molly.” If jingle jangle was really MDMA, Veronica knew it was anything but harmless. She knew that people had died at raves and festivals from using it.

Sweet Pea took a deep breath and met her eyes. “The drugs I make are clean MDMA, not cut with other synthetics like Molly. I used my father’s notes to make jingle jangle. It’s a safe, harmless drug. It’s not habit forming and not dangerous. It’s cheaper and more appealing that the meth and crack that started flooding into the Southside a couple of years ago. That’s why FP asked me to make it; to keep people safe.”

He stopped speaking as the waitress put their milkshakes in front of them.

“There are three kinds of JJ. The red and white straws, that’s the regular strength.” Sweet Pea continued. “It’ll give you a nice high for three to four hours. You’ll feel euphoric, sexy, and ready to party. The black and white straws, that’s extra strength. You’ll be flying high for up to eight hours. The last kind is Malachai’s private stash. That’s the stuff he keeps in green vials, like the one he gave you at his club. The Ghoulies enjoy a little acid trip along with their MDMA high. I make the acid that they use to cut their JJ with; it’s as pure and as safe as I can make it, but I wouldn’t call it harmless. So I make two drugs, technically. Ecstasy and LSD.”

Veronica struggled with what to say. She didn’t know how to describe what show was feeling. There was disappointment and heartbreak but also worry for what this could mean for his future and his safety. “Sheriff Keller is gunning for you. He thinks that you’re the one making the jingle jangle. He didn’t say anything about the LSD.”

“There is nothing to tie me to the drug production,” Sweet Pea assured her. “The lab is in a secure location that’s not connected to me personally at all. The Ghoulies distribute the drugs. There is no direct link to the Serpents on paper in any way. Malachai and FP hammered this all out verbally, over two years ago.”

“What if someone turns on you?” asked Veronica, biting her lip. “They could take you away, Patrick. You could wind up in prison.” Just like her father had.

“The only people who know all the details about the drug distribution are FP, Malachai, and your father,” Sweet Pea explained. “None of them are going to turn traitor.”

Veronica went cold and her mouth dropped open. “My father?” Her father was involved in distributing drugs?

Sweet Pea looked over at her with a fond yet heartbroken smile. “You can’t possibly be that naive, Veronica. You’re a very intelligent woman.”

“My parents promised me that they were going to keep their business dealings purely legitimate here in Riverdale,” Veronica said, her voice cracking. This was all too much.

“Maybe that’s the plan for the future,” said Sweet Pea. “But the way things are now, your father is responsible for a good chunk of criminal activity in the Southside and the Northside too.”

It was such a betrayal that Veronica actually gasped out loud. “But...I told my parents I want the Lodges to go legit. When I take over the family business some day, I want it to be totally on the up and up. I don’t want any part of that life.” Veronica was so upset. Everyone she trusted had lied to her: Sweet Pea; her mom; her dad. Did Betty and Jughead know, too, that the Serpents were moving drugs to pay for her manicures and designer purses and fancy coffees? She felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Calm down, doll. It’s okay.” Sweet Pea leaned forward and took her hand in his.

Veronica yanked her hand away from his. She didn’t want to calm down. She didn’t want to hear it, but it made perfect sense. Her family had as much money now as they had before her father’s arrest. She knew that their legitimate businesses were struggling; her father had shown her the books for them and they were all in the red. Then another thought came to her and she nearly burst into tears once she put two and two together. “That’s why my father got you out of jail. It wasn’t because you are my boyfriend. It was because what you do puts money in his pocket!” And, by extension, paid for her Manolo Blahniks and Hermès bags.

Sweet Pea’s face was sad and tired. “I’m not a black hat, Veronica. I’m not a villain; I just do a job that I’m good at because I need the cash. Men like me, like your father, are willing to go to any length necessary to take care of their families. If it was possible to make enough cash through legitimate means, I would have done it that way. I’m sure your father feels the same way.”

Her mind was reeling. “I don’t want to be part of criminal activity, Sweet Pea,” Veronica said finally. “I can’t just look the other way and pretend I don’t know you are doing things that are illegal!”

He exhaled sharply. “I know that’s not true. I wasn’t exactly subtle about my gang affiliation, Veronica. It’s literally written on my skin for all to see. What did you think the Serpents did to earn their cash? Run bake sales and sell magazines?”

Veronica hadn’t thought about it. She’d glossed over it; she enjoyed the sexy black leather jackets and the brotherhood between the Serpents that had become her friends. She’d set aside what was inconvenient, like the brass knuckles in Betty’s bag and the switchblade in Sweet Pea’s pocket. She’d been an idiot. She’d been a child.

Unable to answer him and unable to face herself with an answer to that question, Veronica simply stood up and walked out of the diner. Rain was pouring down and she pulled her cloak up over her head. She was standing at the curb calling a taxi when Sweet Pea took her elbow gently and walked her to his car.

“I’ll drop you off at home. I’m not leaving you here standing in the rain.”

He opened the car door for her and she climbed inside. The ride back to the Pembrooke took place in silence. The radio station that was playing was losing its signal, the song dissolving into static every few seconds.

Veronica was painfully aware of the distance between her and Sweet Pea. She wanted nothing more than to put her head against his shoulder and have him put his arm around her. But it was over. The rain cascaded down the windshield, obliterating her view of the world outside.

Sweet Pea pulled up in front of the Pembrooke and turned off the car. “Please don’t break things off with me, Veronica.” His voice was raw and broken. He couldn’t even look at her.

“I don’t think I have a choice.” Veronica was hurting him and she hated it. She was hurting herself, too. Her chest hurt and she couldn’t catch her breath.

Andre opened the door to the building and walked towards the car, carrying an umbrella. “I’m sorry. I wish things were different, Patrick.” She put her hand on the door to push it open.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, his touch gentle. “I’m falling in love with you, Veronica. Please don’t push me away.”

The world love made Veronica panic. She just couldn’t deal with that kind of pressure, not after everything that happened with Archie. “I’m sorry. We’re done.”

Sweet Pea immediately dropped her hand. “Fine.” His voice was completely flat and expressionless.

Andre opened the car door and held a large umbrella over her head. “Miss Lodge. It is much too late for you to be out. Let me escort you inside.”

Veronica pulled away from Sweet Pea and took Andre’s hand. “Thank you, Andre.”

Back in her bedroom, Veronica stared at the ceiling. She had to let him go. She’d made the right choice; the sensible choice. Hadn’t she?

****

The next morning, Veronica had breakfast with her parents. Although she hadn’t said a word to her parents about what happened with Sweet Pea, it was apparent they knew something was wrong. They were both very solicitous towards her. Her mother served her favorite chocolate croissants; her father handed her a perfect cup of _café con leche_.

As the meal ended, her father grabbed his briefcase. “Have a good day at school, princess. If you need to talk, my door is always open to you.”

She kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Hiram leaned down and kissed her mother. “I love you, _mi corazon_.”

Hermione smiled up at him, her eyes warm with affection. “And I you, my love.”

Veronica furrowed her brow. That was new and...weird. Her parents were never openly affectionate with each other.

As Veronica finished her breakfast, she mulled over her thoughts. Her father was a criminal. He’d been to prison for the terrible things he’d done. He was still committing crimes, possibly even worse crimes, despite his promise to go straight. He’d lied to her. He always lied to her.

Veronica loved her father. Despite it all, he was the one who’d held her hands when she learned to walk. He’d been there in the front row of every dance recital and concert throughout her childhood. He was the man who’d stood in that police station yesterday with tears running down his face because he loved her so much and thought he’d lost her.

“How can you love Daddy knowing the terrible things that he does?” Veronica asked suddenly.

Hermione folded the newspaper she was reading and set it down. “Let me explain something to you, _mija_. You’ve led a very privileged life. I’m glad that we have been able to provide that for you. And what your father does to make that possible is to be respected and admired.”

“Not the criminal stuff,” Veronica protested. “That’s not honorable.”

Hermione shrugged. “Whose idea of honor, Veronica? Not everyone’s is the same. My father and mother worked their fingers to the bone in their restaurant to keep clothes on our family’s backs. We lived hand-to-mouth for years. Do you know how we got out of the Southside?”

“Your father’s business became much more successful?” Veronica knew that much.

“No, it was because my father agreed to launder money for Enrique Lodge. What got my family into the Pembrooke and this apartment wasn’t enchiladas; it was money from the cocaine trade.” Hermione leaned back, her gaze intent on Veronica.

Veronica’s eyes widened. “Cocaine?” Wait, what?

Hermione gestured with her hand, encompassing the entire room. “This is the house cocaine built, Veronica. Your father and I, we tried to distance ourselves from that world. We tried, very hard, to become legitimate businessmen. We have commercial ventures; SoDale; real estate; construction. The cash flow isn’t enough to keep this roof over our heads. We’d be broke. So what pays the bills?” Hermione looked at her sharply.

Veronica sighed. “Crime.” Just as Sweet Pea had said. She’d been really, really stupid not to figure this out on her own. The numbers her father had shown her hadn’t added up.

“Yes, crime.” Hermione shrugged. “Your father’s connections are extensive. The money from our darker businesses is nearly limitless. Do I wish things were different? Of course I do. But you’re not a child anymore and you need to know that this is the way the world works.”

“I just thought, well, after everything last year, you and Daddy promised me that the Lodges would become legitimate business owners. That we wouldn’t have to worry about Daddy getting taken away again.” She sounded childish, even to herself.

“We hope that someday, after you finish college and business school, we will hand over Lodge Industries to you and it will be thriving and entirely legitimate,” Hermione said smoothly. “Your father is working his fingers to the bone, every day, trying to make that happen for you. But in the meantime, yes, crime pays the bills. Your father takes care of us, _mija_ ; just as he promised me on our wedding day. Just as he promised you the first time he held you in his arms.”

“Because being a man means doing whatever it takes to protect your family,” Veronica whispered. Her heart hurt, thinking of Sweet Pea.

“Patrick understands the realities of the world,” Hermione said softly. “We let you live inside a fantasy for as long as we could. But it’s time to open your eyes.”

****

Veronica had expected anger from Sweet Pea at school that day. She’d dumped him flat. He’d told her how much she meant to him and she’d walked away. From what Veronica knew of men, she expected him to be a phenomenal asshole to her.

Instead, he smiled softly when he saw her walk into Chemistry class. “Good morning, Veronica. Did you do the reading I gave you on the alkali metals?”

“I did.” She’d cried herself to sleep at four in the morning, her fingers caressing the pages of the book he’d given her.

“Good.” Sweet Pea gave her a quick smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t meet with you today for tutoring. There’s a lot to deal with at the warehouse, going through what we pulled out of the Wyrm last night.”

Being around him like this, like nothing had happened, was so painful. She couldn’t take it. “Sweet Pea, I understand if you don’t want to tutor me anymore.”

Sweet Pea frowned. “No, you need my help and I promised to give it to you. So, don’t worry about that.” He was calm and cool and seemingly unaffected. She was the one who was a mess.

Veronica made a concerted effort to put on a brave face. “Super,” she said brightly.

“Great,” he agreed and set up their equipment.

From all appearances, they worked on that day’s lab pleasantly and cooperatively, as if everything was perfectly fine between them.

*****

At lunch, Veronica sat down next to Toni. Sweet Pea was across the table, talking to Melissa and Fangs. He must have reached the punch line of a joke, because the three of them started laughing.

“You okay?” Toni asked her. “You look miserable.”

Veronica hadn’t told anyone about the break up yet. They’d barely begun and it was already over. It hurt too much to even think about it. “No, I’m super great.” She pasted a smile on her face. “How’s your day been so far?”

“I got asked to the welcome dance by a Ghoulie,” said Toni. “He’s hot. Tall blonde guy.” She made a face.

“Sounds good so far,” Veronica replied. “What’s the problem?”

“Look at this invitation he slipped in my locker.” Toni handed it to her. It was a piece of parchment paper. Written in purple ink in beautiful cursive was his invitation:

_I would be honored to escort you to the Welcome Mixer this Saturday. It would gladden my heart to earn your favor. I guarantee you a night of romance, quality refreshments and, if you wish, intense sexual gratification._

_Yours unreservedly, Benjamin Huff, Lieutenant, Ghoulish Order of the Undead_

“The Ghoulies are called the Ghoulish Order of the Undead?” Veronica couldn’t hold back her laughter. ”My God, they are so fucking extra.”

Toni chuckled. “No kidding, uptown. They take themselves really fucking seriously.”

“Is there a full name for the Serpents, too?” Veronica asked curiously. She cast a furtive glance across the table at her favorite Serpent.

Toni snorted. “No, it’s just the Southside Serpents. We’re not a bunch of pretentious fuckwads."

Betty sat down next to Veronica. “Who are pretentious fuckwads?”

“The Ghoulies,” Veronica replied, focusing on her best friend.

“Oh, yeah, totally.” Betty raised her eyebrows. “Did you see the invitation from that Ghoulie guy?”

“I think its sweet,” said Veronica. “I think Toni should go with him. She says he’s really hot.”

Betty turned to Toni. “Is he in here, the Ghoulie guy? Show me.”

Toni scanned the room. “He’s at that table under the clock on the wall. He’s the blond sitting next to the chick with the green hair.”

Betty stood up and looked over. “Ooh, he’s cute!” she said loudly.

Toni grabbed Betty’s arm. “Sit the fuck down, ponytail!” She hissed. “Damn, you have no cool whatsoever.”

“She can be calm. Betty just gets very enthusiastic. Which is a wonderful quality.” Veronica smiled at her friend affectionately.

“Tell him that you’ll go with him!” said Betty excitedly. “Then we can all go to dinner together before the dance!”

Veronica should tell Betty what had gone down with Sweet Pea, but it just felt too raw to talk over. She looked over at him. He was already looking at her.

“I made a reservation for us at Sushi Yoshi over in Rockland for dinner tomorrow night. I can just add more people.” Betty turned to Sweet Pea. “That reminds me, I forgot to ask you, Sweet Pea. Are you cool with having sushi before the dance tomorrow night?"

Sweet Pea looked at Veronica, then at Betty. “Um, sure?”

“If you don’t like sushi we can go to Mama Maria’s,” Betty suggested alternatively. “I know that not everyone loves fish.”

“Let’s ask Veronica.” Sweet Pea smiled at her, his eyes hopeful. “When we go out to dinner tomorrow night, doll, what would you prefer?”

He was teasing her. Was he teasing her because he didn’t want to go or because he wanted to go? Veronica was confused. Were they still going together? Had they not actually broken up? What the hell? “Sure, I like food” was what came out of Veronica’s mouth in response to his question.

“Well, that narrows it down,” joked Toni.

“Sushi,” Sweet Pea said decisively. “Sushi sounds perfect.” He looked over at her, a sweet smile on his face. Veronica had no idea what the hell was going on in his head.

Jughead sat down next to Betty. “We’re on for sushi? Awesome. I love Sushi Yoshi, that place is great.” He turned towards Veronica. “So, Betty and I want to talk to you and Sweet Pea about what you saw yesterday. Can you meet us in the _Blue and Gold_ office after school?”

“I’m supposed to go decorate the gym for the dance,” Veronica answered, trying to focus on her friends while trying to figure out what was going on with Sweet Pea at the same time.

“So are we. It won’t take long,” said Betty. “Jug and I just want to get our murder board set up for this. We’ve already got some suspects in mind.”

Jughead nodded, his mouth full of burger. “We are going to Scooby Doo this mascot asshole,” he said after he swallowed.

“I’ll be there,” said Sweet Pea. “I’ll meet you right after school.” He looked over at Veronica, his eyes warm. “Why don’t we meet at your locker and you can show me where the office is, doll?”

“Sure,” Veronica agreed. Sweet Pea was being so sweet and kind that she wanted to go over and kiss him. But she couldn’t. She’d broken up with him. This was just too hard, being around him and pretending everything was okay. She abruptly stood up. “You know, I’m going to go to the library. I have an English test and I should probably do some review first.”

Betty frowned. “You okay, V? You’re not usually a cram for a test kind of girl.”

“I’m great. Everything is fine.” She quickly left the cafeteria. Archie and Cheryl were sitting at a table together near the door. She noticed Cheryl was holding Archie’s hand. She’d bet good money they’d go to the dance together tomorrow. Her two least favorite people; they totally deserved each other.

Soon after, Veronica was settled at a table in the library, attempting to study for her English test. In reality, she was reading the same three lines of Walt Whitman over and over, thinking about Sweet Pea.

When Sweet Pea sat down next to her, she was completely startled and gave a little jump. “Jesus, Patrick!”

“Veronica-” he began.

“No talking in the library!” hissed Miss Morrison.

He rolled his eyes. “This fucking school,” he mouthed.

She stifled a giggle. He was so cute when he was annoyed.

Sweet Pea pulled a sheet out of her spiral notebook, grabbed her pen and wrote a note. When he was done, he slipped it across the table.

_“You didn’t tell anyone we broke up?”  
_

She scribbled her answer.

_I don’t want to talk about it. It hurts too much.  
_

He wrote another note.

_I’m hurting too. Can we please talk about this? Please.  
_

She looked over at him. His heart was in his eyes; despite his smiles and the way he’d been acting with her all morning, he was hurting just as much as she was. Veronica sighed and wrote one last note.

_I don’t know what else we can say that won’t just make things worse._

He wasn’t done trying to convince her.

_Sixty seconds. That’s all I ask.  
_

She looked over at him quizzically. He held out his hand, his eyes warm. “Please,” he whispered.

Veronica knew she’d probably regret this, but she put her hand in his and let him lead her through the library to a small book room at the very back. There was a “NO STUDENTS ALLOWED” sign taped to the door. The door was open; no one was in sight.

Sweet Pea pulled her into the tiny room and shut the door. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her. “I intend to stop making the drugs, go off to college and lead a completely legitimate life,” he said passionately. “Six months from now this part of my life will be over, Veronica. Please believe me.”

“My father told me he was going legit too, and it was a lie. How can I possibly trust anything you say to me?” Veronica was so hurt. She couldn’t count on anyone or anything, it seemed.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I swear to God, Veronica, I will do anything to keep you in my life. If I could stop making the JJ right now, I would. This is the best I can do.”

“If you really wanted to you could stop right now,” Veronica argued. “You know it’s wrong to make drugs. Just stop.”

He shook his head. “It’s not that simple. I need to save as much money as I can to pay the bills for my grandmother while I’m away at college. I don’t have enough money yet, Veronica.”

Damn, that was actually an excellent reason. She hadn’t considered what would happen to Sweet Pea’s grandmother while he was in Massachusetts. “How do I know that you’ll actually stop when you have enough?” Veronica asked. “How do I know that you’ll be able to turn away the money that JJ is bringing in?"

“You have to trust me. This can’t work if you can’t trust me. And, Veronica, I want this to work more than anything.” His eyes were wet; he was on the verge of tears. This huge, strong guy was crumbling in front of her, all because he didn’t want to lose her.

She’d hurt him when she broke it off. His feelings for her were just as deep as hers were for him. She’d tried to hide how much he meant to her; her feelings scared her. But Sweet Pea had made himself vulnerable for her. It touched her heart more than any words possibly could.

People weren’t only one thing. Sweet Pea was in a gang and he made drugs. He was also incredibly kind and thoughtful and brilliant. He’d managed to work his way into her heart. She didn’t want to lose him. Maybe they really could make each other better, together, if she had faith in him; in them.

Veronica cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. “I know I hurt you. Forgive me. I was trying to do the right thing by letting you go.”

Sweet Pea let out a long shuddering breath. He was trying so hard not to cry. “This hurts like hell, baby doll. Just tell me, please. Are you my girl or not?”

She kissed the tattoo on his neck. “I’m yours, Patrick. I don’t ever want to let you go.”

He kissed her, then, his hand tangled in her hair. His embrace was long and lingering and thorough. “It was tearing my heart out, being so close to you and knowing it was over,” he whispered, making it clear to her that their separation, though short, had affected him too.

“We’re together now,” she assured him through their kisses. “I promise, Patrick. I want to be with you more than anything.”

He lifted her up against him, his hands cupping her ass. “You belong to me. Tell me.” He bit her earlobe.

“Yes,” Veronica said breathily. She pushed her hands under his shirt and touched his bare chest. “I belong to you.”

He let out a deep, shaky breath as she ran her fingers along his ribs, over his nipples. “God, yes, please touch me,” he groaned.

She pushed up his shirt and sucked on his nipple. He tasted salty and delicious. She wanted to know what he tasted like, all over. The thought made her moan.

“I want you too, baby.” Sweet Pea swung her over to a small table and set her down. He slid his hands up her sweater, sliding his hands over, then under her bra. “I want to take off all your clothes and take you, so bad.” He sucked on her neck as his hands caressed her breast, her nipples.

Veronica was immensely turned on. They could get caught any minute; she didn’t care. She slipped his hand under her skirt. “Fuck me with your fingers. Your hands are so fucking huge. You turn me on so much.”

He flipped up her skirt, pushed aside her thong underwear and slipped one of his long fingers inside her. “You like that, don’t you?”

She closed her eyes and bit her lip. “God, yes.”

“Bet you’ll like even more.” He added another finger, and then another, and Veronica ground against his hand.

“Don’t fucking leave me ever again,” he growled in her ear. “You belong with me.”

She kissed him thoroughly, her tongue in his mouth. She was gearing up for a climax; his fingers were thick and big and it was almost as good as making love with him. If making out was this good, how good would sex with him be? She really wanted to find out.

Apparently he was thinking the same thing. “I’m going to fuck you tonight, doll,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m going to make you mine. I’m going to take you all night long. All night.”

“Patrick!” She was so close.

He sucked on her neck as he worked his fingers in and out of her, faster and faster. “Come for me. Come for me.”

She came, grinding against him as she cried out with pleasure.

He put his hand over her mouth. “Quiet, baby, quiet.”

Her orgasm was so fucking good. Veronica pressed her face against his chest and sighed, boneless and relaxed.

Sweet Pea was just pulling her skirt down when the door opened. It was Miss Morrison. “What are the two of you doing in this room?” She glared at them both.

“We were looking for a chemistry reference book on the book cart,” Veronica explained as she hopped off the table and smoothed down her skirt.

Miss Morrison’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think I’m a complete idiot?”

“Of course not,” Veronica assured her.

She glared at both of them. “Both of you go to Principal Weatherbee’s office right now!”

They walked back into the main area of the library and Veronica retrieved her books and bag from where she’d left them. Miss Morrison stomped behind the counter, picked up the phone and began whispering into the handset, hissing with anger.

“I’m sorry,” said Sweet Pea as they walked down the hall. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

Veronica’s body was still humming with post-orgasmic bliss. She took her hand in his and swung their arms. “I’m pretty sure that I can talk my way out of it with Weatherbee. Everyone knows that Miss Morrison is kind of obsessed with catching kids making out.”

“Sounds like she needs to get laid herself,” Sweet Pea quipped, pulling her under his arm.

“Maybe that’s her problem,” Veronica agreed with a giggle. “She’s chronically orgasm deprived.”

A few minutes later, they were seated in the principal’s office. He looked back and forth between the two of them and frowned. “They don’t pay me enough to do this job. Do you know my brother-in-law selling furniture over in Greendale makes more than I do? I could have saved myself the trouble of that Masters degree and just peddled sofas.” Principal Weatherbee, it seemed, was having a rough day at work.

“I’m sorry-” Veronica began.

Principal Weatherbee held up one hand. “No, let me be clear. The school board does not pay me enough money to call Hiram Lodge and tell him that his little girl had some boy’s hand up her skirt. You don’t want me to tell him that. He doesn’t want to hear that, and I have better things to do with my time.”

“Sir-” said Sweet Pea.

Weatherbee shook his head. “I really don’t want to hear it, son. I don’t want to deal with the paperwork for any disciplinary action. I just want to wash my hands of the whole thing. Go back to class and behave yourselves with decorum appropriate to a learning environment." With that, he got up and opened the door to his office.

They walked out of the main office and down the hall. Sweet Pea checked his phone. “We’ve got ten minutes left of lunch. Do you want to head back to the cafeteria?”

Veronica playfully pulled on his belt. “Or we could find a nice quiet corner and I can return the favor.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I believe I owe you an orgasm.”

He gave her a sexy smile and laughed. “I’m going to need more than ten minutes alone with you for what I have in mind.”

“So, what do you have in mind?” She laced his fingers with his.

“Tonight, I’m going to pick you up at seven. We’ll have dinner with Fangs and Melissa at my house. My grandma’s making corned beef and cabbage. We usually play Monopoly afterwards. She’ll be in bed by nine, nine-thirty.”

“You want me to have dinner at your house and play board games?” Veronica was surprised. She’d thought he had a hot date in mind. This was...definitely not hot.

“After Fangs and Melissa head home, we’ll go somewhere we can be alone.” Sweet Pea looked at her, his eyes full of desire. “I’m going to take off all your clothes. I’m going to put my mouth all over you. Then I’m going to take you up against a wall, on the bed; wherever and whatever you want to do.”

Veronica and her hormones were totally on board with this plan. “That sounds like the perfect date.” She was looking forward to seeing him naked and making love with him. The thought was a huge turn on.

“I think so too.” Sweet Pea kissed her, his mouth hot against hers. “It’s a night I’ve been looking forward to since the moment we met, baby.”


	7. Young Lady, You're Scaring Me

For Veronica, the rest of Friday went by in a blur. She aced her Spanish test and her English exam on Walt Whitman went pretty well. As soon as the last bell rang, Sweet Pea was waiting for Veronica at her locker. She smiled when she saw him; over six feet tall of incredibly hot guy and he was all hers.

He leaned down to kiss her. “What were you smiling about, doll?”

“Just happy to see you,” Veronica replied. She pulled his face down to hers and gave him a thorough kiss.

“You guys are sickeningly cute.” Veronica broke the kiss and turned to see Kevin, looking maudlin.

“I’m sorry, Kev. Too much PDA?”

Kevin waved one hand in dismissal. “Don’t mind me. I’m just bitter and alone.”

Veronica patted his shoulder. “Did you ask that Ghoulie guy Carl if he wanted to go to the dance?”

“He already had a date.”

“I’m sorry.” Poor Kevin had been trying to find someone new, to no avail, for months now.

Kevin shrugged. “It’s about what I expected. So, are you both going to the gym to decorate for the dance?” he asked.

“We have to meet Betty and Jughead in the _Blue and Gold_ room first,” said Sweet Pea. “They wanted to set up a...murder board?”

“Team Bughead’s back in investigation mode, looking into the bombings,” Veronica clarified. 

Kevin’s eyes lit up. “Ooh. I have some intel for them. I’ll tag along.”

As they walked, Veronica thought of something she’d overheard the day before. “Kev, have you heard from Joaquin since he left town?”

The smile faded from Kevin’s face. “No. I mean, we texted back and forth for a bit. But it’s been a while.”

“I heard that he might be back in town,” said Veronica.

Kevin looked at her sharply. “He is?”

“I haven’t seen him, but I did hear that he was back.”

“I would love to see him again,” Kevin said wistfully. “I mean, Joaquin was special; really special to me. Not just a hookup.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Joaquin is definitely back. FP told him to get his ass home, ASAP.” 

Kevin stopped in his tracks. “Joaquin is back? Here in Riverdale?”

“He came back from San Junipero last week,” Sweet Pea explained. 

Kevin bit his lip. “And he didn’t call me. Perfect. Just great.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d heard from him,” said Veronica.

Kevin shook his head. “Not a word.”

Veronica felt bad. Now Kevin felt even worse than she had before she brought up the topic of his ex.

When they reached the _Blue and Gold_ room, Betty and Jughead were leaning against a wall, kissing. Jughead’s beanie was tilted at a precarious angle on his head.

“Is it just PDA day and I didn’t get the memo?” asked Kevin bitterly.

Betty and Jughead pulled away from each other. “I’m sorry, sorry,” Betty said hurriedly, pink spreading across her face.

Jughead straightened his crooked hat. “We...just lost track of time.”

Kevin sighed and dropped himself onto the couch in the middle of the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt your moment. I’m just lonely and horny and tired of being forever alone.”

“Did you ask that Ghoulie Carl to the dance?” asked Betty, smoothing down her skirt.

“Already had a date,” Kevin answered morosely. “And apparently, Joaquin is back in town and no one told me.”

Jughead and Betty shared a guilty look.

Kevin bit his lip. “You know what? Forget I said anything. I do not care what Joaquin does.”

“I’m sorry.” Jughead clapped Kevin on the shoulder. “So, I take it V told you it’s murder board time?”

“That is why I have came along, yes,” Kevin affirmed. “And my dad confirmed that the bomb that blew up the Whyte Wyrm was definitely the work of the same bomber. Once again, clean as a whistle; nothing to tie it to any concrete leads. The official investigation is still dead in the water.”

“As usual, it’s up to us to actually figure things out.” Jughead walked over to a map of the Southside that was pinned to the bulletin board. “Okay. So the first bomb went off here.” He circled Southside High with a red marker. “The second went off here.” He circled the Whyte Wyrm. “So, both targets are along Hastings Street.”

“Southside High is at Bridge and Wabash, not Hastings,” Kevin corrected. He stepped forward and tapped the map. “See?”

“Technically, the treed area behind the high school is part of the property.” Jughead pointed at it on the map. “And that land is on Hastings.”

“Okay, so both targets are on Hastings. Where are you going with this?” asked Kevin.

“We did some digging at the Town Hall.” Betty pulled out a folder of paperwork. “There are roughly sixteen other properties along Hastings Street. In the last few months, six apartment buildings, two commercial buildings and the bodega have been sold to the same holding company. It’s called Dieciocho LLC. We Googled the name; it’s Spanish for eighteen. Other than that, we haven’t been able to find out much else about it.”

Veronica’s stomach plummeted. Her friends were entirely too good at uncovering information that was supposed to be hidden. “Look, I know what’s going on with Dieciocho, but it’s supposed to remain confidential for another week or so.” Her father had planned a press conference before her eighteenth birthday gala at the brand new SoDale Grand Hotel. 

“You know something about the bombing?” asked Betty, her brow furrowed.

“No, I know what Dieciocho is.” Veronica took a deep breath. “It’s my company, actually, a gift from my family for my eighteenth birthday. My family is expanding the SoDale development. Dieciocho is the holding company for SoDale North. That’s what the real estate on Hastings will be used for, to expand the footprint of SoDale.”

“You can’t expand the development where people are living, Veronica!” Jughead slammed his hand on the desk. “That is people’s homes, their livelihoods! You can’t just...pave it all over and turn it into a shopping mall.” 

“It’s a mixed-use development,” Veronica explained. “SoDale North will be residential and commercial. Yes, SoDale North will involve removing some existing apartment buildings; some families will be affected. But my father offered a more than fair value for the properties and the displaced residents will be the first ones offered brand new rent-controlled apartments in SoDale.” Veronica had thought that sounded completely fair.

“Veronica, there is supposed to be a hearing in two months to decide whether Southside High will be rebuilt,” said Betty. “But the Town of Riverdale has already sold that site to Dieciocho.”

“Which means that your father already did a backdoor deal before there was any public comment or anything!” Jughead said angrily. “He stole the land from the citizens of this town. He bought the entire property for three hundred thousand dollars, V. The land is worth five times that!” 

“I don’t know why my father was able to get such a sweetheart deal,” Veronica said honestly. “Maybe there were tax incentives or some other reason?” These business deals were rarely cut and dried. There were a lot of different wheels in motion with a project this large.

“Or maybe Hiram Lodge paid Sweet Pea to demolish Southside High, making it possible to pull off a very shady move and get his hands on it for pennies on the dollar!” Jughead crossed his arms and glared at Veronica.

“What?” Sweet Pea’s face contorted with anger. 

“You’re nuts!” Veronica lashed out. “My father is far from perfect! But do you really think that he would blow up an entire building just to save some money?”

“I do,” Jughead said coldly. “And I think that your dad did what he’s done in the past: hired the Southside Serpents to do his dirty work. Southside High was destroyed by a series of pipe bombs. Do you know who the in- house demolition expert for the Serpents is? Your new boyfriend!”

Veronica whirled around to look at Sweet Pea. He looked just as blindsided as she felt. “I don’t have anything to do with the bombings,” Sweet Pea said, his voice low and angry. “You really think I’m the one that tried to blow us all up? Killed those kids at the school? Are you out of your fucking mind? Veronica and I fucking saved you. All of you!”

“Exactly my point!” Jughead replied, just as angry. “I think that the fact that only the two of you saw the bomber at the Wyrm is incredibly suspicious. We know that something shady is going on with the Lodges. It’s some kind of...cover-up.”

“Jughead, I think you need to take a step back,” Betty said worriedly. “We haven’t discussed any of these accusations you are making and I don’t agree with everything that you are saying.”

Veronica walked forward and touched the location of the Whyte Wyrm on the map. “The Wyrm isn’t even in the proposed area for SoDale North! The project is supposed to extend from the corner of Hastings and Wabash to the corner of Hastings and Third Avenue. Southside High and the Whyte Wyrm aren’t even on the projected map.”

“But now that they’re available, there’s nothing stopping SoDale North from stretching the entire distance from Main Street to Crystal Lake.” Jughead circled the entire, unbroken area of South Riverdale.

“But that can’t work!” Veronica pointed at the map. “Sunnyside Trailer Park is in between Third Avenue and the Lake.”

Jughead tossed a paper at her. “Well, guess who just bought Sunnydale Trailer Park. Dieciocho.”

“Why the hell would we buy the trailer park?” Veronica was mystified. She looked at the record of sale. Jughead was right; she now owned it. It wasn’t exactly Lodge Industries material and it had nothing to do with the proposed footprint of SoDale North. What the hell was her dad doing?

“Your family is singlehandedly waging class warfare in this town. The Lodges are going to evict forty families from the trailer park just to put up your bullshit megamall.” Jughead was absolutely enraged. “Fangs and I, we will lose our homes. Lots of other people, too. Not that you and your family give a fuck about what happens to people like me!”

“Hey, dial it down, Jug!” Kevin yelled at Jughead.

“Juggie, that’s not fair!” Betty interjected. She turned to Veronica. “Look, this was not intended to be a personal attack on you, V. We didn’t know that Dieciocho was tied to you at all. We asked you here, and Sweet Pea too, to talk about what you saw with the Bulldog mascot, not to blindside you with half-baked allegations!” She shot an angry glare at Jughead.

“But this is an attack on me. On my family and my character.” Veronica knew that her parents were capable of doing illegal and shady things. But they hadn’t given her any indication that they intended to destroy all of the affordable housing in Riverdale and drive out working-class families. 

“If you say that you didn’t know this was part of your dad’s SoDale plan, I believe you,” said Betty, her eyes sincere. “I know you and you would never hurt people this way.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Veronica gestured to Jughead. “Hand me your laptop. I’ll show you.”

Veronica logged onto the secure site for Lodge Industries and navigated to the private area for Dieciocho. She pulled up the folder of documents related to the SoDale North project. The drawings showing the current properties in the Southside and the proposed changes were clearly labeled. As she had said, the high school site and the Serpents headquarters weren’t on it. “Take a look. I’m not lying to you.”

Jughead looked over the blueprints, his brow furrowed. “How do I know that there isn’t some other version of this, some shadow version that shows the entire development, including the Wyrm and Southside High?”

“Why is everything always some elaborate conspiracy theory with you, Jughead?” asked Sweet Pea derisively. 

“I can’t tell you with certainty,” Veronica answered honestly. “My parents have kept information from me before.” And still were; the revelations about her father’s criminal activity were still raw and fresh. Her parents had played her like a fool; it still stung. 

Veronica opened another file and showed Betty and Jughead a spreadsheet. It was a list of all the real estate that was involved in the project. “You said that Dieciocho purchased Southside High, but it’s not on this list, Jug.”

He handed her the paperwork from the county, showing the details of the transaction. “This is from public records in the town hall, Veronica. You think that you know what is going on but you clearly don’t.”

“I know that you’re upset, Jug,” said Kevin. “But what you’re accusing Veronica of doing is insane. She’s a good person.”

“I’m a good person, too,” said Jughead. “But I’ve done my share of bad things. I think Hiram Lodge is actively working to destroy the Southside and just turn it all into a huge commercial development. You’ve basically proven that to be true, Veronica.”

“Well, I won’t let it happen,” Veronica said hotly and handed the paperwork back to him. “I want to be a partner in the family business, yes. I’m excited to finally have a project that I’m an investor in. But I’m not willing to be part of some conspiracy to destroy half of the town and hundreds of families.”

“How many options do you really have, Veronica?” asked Jughead. “Sure, the deeds are going into your company. But Hiram Lodge is pulling all the strings. Even yours.”

Veronica felt herself flush with anger. “I’m not a puppet, Jughead.”

Jughead crossed his arms and shrugged. “Prove it.”

Veronica pulled out her cell phone and called her father. She got his voice mail, so she hung up and called her father’s secretary. “Hi, Mona. I need to get ahold of Dad right away.”

“I’m sorry. Mr. Lodge is currently unavailable.” Mona’s voice was so smooth and cold that she sounded nearly robotic.

“I need to speak with him as soon as possible. It’s urgent.”

“I will pass that on to him, Miss Lodge.”

Veronica hung up, frustrated. She was so aggravated that she felt like tossing her phone against the wall. 

Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. “This isn’t on you,” he murmured in her ear. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I just feel stupid,” she whispered. “Everyone keeps lying to me and I fall for it every time.”

Sweet Pea kissed her head. “It’s all going to be okay.” He turned to Jughead. “So is your interrogation over? Can we go?” he said coldly.

“It’s not an interrogation,” Betty protested. “Things just got a little...heated.”

“It sure felt like one,” Sweet Pea snapped. “Look, I expect this shit from the cops but not from my friends! I’m not the bomber. Veronica is not trying to mastermind the destruction of the Southside way of life. I can’t speak for Hiram Lodge; I wouldn’t put it past him. But if you want to find out who blew up the Wyrm and the high school, you need to start pointing fingers at people other than us.”

“Who else would have a motive?” Jughead argued. “Why the hell would anyone else be doing this, if not to destroy the Southside?”

“The Northsiders have made us clear they want the Southside gone,” Sweet Pea said just as passionately. “Who’s to say that it isn’t one of those Red Circle assholes like Mantle or your buddy Andrews, looking to increase the Southside body count?” 

Jughead set his jaw. “Archie has made his fair share of mistakes but he’s not the kind of person who would commit acts of terrorism!”

“I don’t believe that either,” Veronica interjected. “I don’t think he has it in him, Patrick.”

“How about Mantle? Moose?” asked Sweet Pea. 

“How about Cheryl?” Betty interjected. “She’s been one of the most vocal anti-Southside ringleaders at Riverdale High. Plus, she's been completely unstable for a long time, since her beloved Jason died. And now her father committed suicide and her home, Thornhill, is gone. Maybe she’s just snapped entirely.”

“Cheryl is the queen of cutting remarks, but I don’t think she would hurt a fly,” Kevin observed. 

Betty shrugged. “I’m honestly not so sure.” She picked up an index card, wrote Cheryl’s name on it and pinned it below the map of the Southside.

Ten minutes later, the murder board was complete. The list of suspects was short: The Lodges; Cheryl, Reggie, Archie; Moose.

“I hate being a card on one of your murder boards,” Veronica muttered. 

Betty rubbed her shoulder. “It’s not personal. It’s just...investigative thoroughness.”

“This is traumatic.” Veronica sighed and rolled her shoulders. “The next coffee date at Starbucks is definitely on you.”

Betty bit her lip. “If you have other options for who the bomber might be, V, please chime in.”

“My father has a profile,” Kevin offered. “The bomber is very good with tools. A crack shot; he took out that security guard dead between the eyes. He, or she, has knowledge of chemistry, explosives, and engineering. Probably not one of the Red Circle guys, actually. This is not a confrontational guy; his weapon of choice relies on doing a lot of damage while he’s nowhere nearby.”

“It has to be someone who can fit in that mascot suit, too,” Betty added.

“What about Dilton Doiley?” Veronica tapped one finger against her cheek. “Dilton wears the Bulldog costume and plays the mascot for all the sporting events. He is the president of the Chemistry Club; I’m sure he’d have enough knowledge to put together an explosive. He was very into the Red Circle thing with Archie, too. He’s definitely Team Northside, all the way.”

“He’s also fucking crazy,” said Jughead. “He’s obsessed with weapons; he’s a survivalist nut. It would be totally in his wheelhouse to blow something up.” 

Betty argued against it. “Dilton wouldn’t wear the mascot costume to drop off a bomb at the White Wyrm. It completely implicates him.”

“Maybe he’s actually that stupid,” said Jughead, “or perhaps he thought that by wearing it, it would actually provide him with an alibi.”

“My dad already interviewed him and he said there’s just no way,” said Kevin. “He’s not a suspect.”

“Your dad has been wrong before, Kev,” said Betty, with an apologetic smile.

So another card went up on the murder board: Dilton Doiley.

Jughead’s cell phone rang and he took the call. “FP needs us down at the warehouse,” he said to Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea turned to Veronica and kissed her. “Duty calls, babe. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Can’t wait.” Veronica looked up at him with a smile. “Be careful.”

He squeezed her hand. “Always.” 

Jughead and Sweet Pea headed out, leaving Veronica, Betty and Kevin alone.

“So that was kind of...intense,” said Kevin. ”Jughead’s really all in on this Northside versus Southside thing.” He gave Betty a concerned glance.

“Well, there’s been a lot of evidence in that direction,” Betty said slowly. “These property records...they don’t paint a very pretty picture. Jughead has already lost so much: his mom and his sister; the drive-in; the Wyrm. Now the trailer park is on the chopping block, too. I’m sure that it feels like the world is trying to take everything away from him.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Veronica assured her. “If I own the trailer park, then I promise you right now that nothing is going to convince me to throw the people who live there out of their homes.”

“I hope you can stop whatever is happening, V,” worried Betty. “I feel like Jug’s at his breaking point. I don’t want to see him...break.”

“Neither do I, I promise you.” Veronica kissed Betty’s cheek. “Now, we have a dance to get ready for and a fun sushi date planned tomorrow. So just put all this drama on the back burner and enjoy being back together with your boy, okay?” The last thing Veronica wanted was for her BFF to descend back into misery after her hard-won reunion with her boyfriend.

Betty gave her a blinding smile. “Okay, V.”

“Come on. Let’s glam up that gym.” Veronica picked up her bag from the chair.

Kevin looped an arm around Betty’s waist, then Veronica’s, and led them out of the room. “Let’s just forget about all this crap and focus on what’s important: crepe paper streamers.”

“Strings of little white lights,” Betty added as they walked down the hall. 

“Helium balloons,” Veronica added. “We can take some hits off the helium tank and talk like the Chipmunks.”

The sound of Betty’s laughter filled the hallway.  
****  
After they finished decorating the gym, Betty dropped Veronica off back at the Pembrooke. Veronica walked through the front door to find her mother in the living room, typing on her laptop.

“What are you up to, _Mami_?” Veronica bent over and kissed her mother’s cheek. 

“I’m updating my Pinterest board for master bedroom decor,” Hermione replied. “I’m thinking of a new color scheme. I think slate blue and cream would be very calming.” She showed Veronica a few of her images.

“Nice,” Veronica said approvingly. It looked pretty. “So, do you know where Daddy is? I can’t reach him by phone.”

“He’s in Toronto delivering the keynote at the Latinx Men of Influence conference,” said Hermione. “He won’t be back until very late tonight.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Veronica had forgotten about that. No wonder her father had his phone off. She thought about getting into the discussion about SoDale North with her mother, but decided to table it. Ultimately, her father was the one making all the decisions anyway.

“So, since it’s just the two of us, would you like to have dinner?” asked Hermione. “We can have the car service pick us up, take us to one of our old haunts back home. How does dinner at Zengo sound?”

Any other day, Veronica would happily drop everything to be back on the Upper West Side. Not tonight, though.

“I can’t tonight. I’m having dinner with the Flannery’s and then I’m having a sleepover at Betty’s.” Betty had asked Veronica to cover for her with her mother; Veronica had asked her to return the favor. Apparently Jughead had made plans to whisk Betty away somewhere for a romantic evening.

Hermione smiled. “Oh, Mrs. Flannery is having you over! How nice. You need to bring something for the meal. She always loved the cakes from Just Desserts.”

“Good tip,” said Veronica. “I will be sure to do that.” She definitely wanted to make a good impression on Sweet Pea’s grandmother.

“I nearly forgot, Veronica. Amanda sent over your dress and shoes for tomorrow’s dance. You should go try it on and make sure that you’re happy with it. Amanda said to let her know by five if you need something else instead. She’ll courier it over to us if there’s a problem.”

“Oh great!” Veronica went to her bedroom right away. Amanda, her personal shopper, knew exactly what she liked. She was excited to see what she’d picked out for her this time.

The garment bag and box of shoes were lying on her bed. The dress was perfect: a sexy little black cocktail dress with fun beading on the neckline and a full, flirty skirt. Veronica tried on the dress and spun in front of her mirror. She looked freaking fantastic. She slipped on her new shiny patent leather Manolo Blahnik pumps. Just perfection.

She smiled at her reflection. Her skin looked flawless; the black dress set off her complexion perfectly. Her legs looked nice and long in her new stilettos.

How many straws full of jingle jangle had it taken to pay for this dress? The unwelcome thought punctured her enjoyment like a dart in a balloon. 

Veronica walked out into the living room in search of her mother. “Oh, _mija_.” Hermione walked over and looked at her appraisingly. “That Prada looks beautiful on you!” She fingered the embroidery that embellished the neckline. “I love this.”

“ _Mami_ , how much were the dress and shoes?”

Hermione waved her hand. “That’s not important. It’s all going on the Excess card.”

“Can I see the invoice from Amanda?”

Hermione frowned. “If you wish. I put it on your father’s desk.”

Veronica went into her father's study and looked over the invoice. The dress? Two thousand, one hundred dollars. The stilettos? Seven hundred and fifty. Amanda’s fee? Three hundred. Delivery fee? One hundred. 

Her outfit cost three thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars. She’d bought two straws of jingle jangle for seventy-five bucks. So, Sweet Pea had manufactured what, eighty straws full of jingle jangle to make this dress happen?

Veronica took off the dress, boxed up the shoes, changed back into her own outfit and handed it all back to her mother. “Please return all this to Amanda. I’m going in a different direction for the dance.” 

“What are you planning to wear instead?” asked Hermione, her brow furrowed. 

“I’ll know it when I see it.” Veronica kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’m going shopping in town. I’ll be back soon.”

Veronica called an Uber and set out for her destination. A few doors down from the Exquisite Corpse was a thrift shop she’d noticed earlier that week. A spray-painted graffiti tag in the shape of a ghost overlapped the name of the store, Diamonds and Duds. The bell chimed when she walked through the door. She walked past the unmanned cash register, which had a CASH ONLY, NO LARGE BILLS sign taped to the front of it. 

It was one large room filled with rack after rack of used clothes. Veronica had never been in a store that was so chaotic. No flattering lighting; no solicitous saleswomen. This was just a whole lot of stuff.

She walked through the store until she found a rack of eveningwear: dresses, from cocktail dresses to wedding gowns, all jammed on the same long, metal bar. They weren’t divided by sizes. It was a complete random mess.

“Did you take a wrong turn and wind up down here by mistake, uptown?” Veronica turned to see Toni, smirking at her.

“No, this was very intentional,” said Veronica. “I am here to find a new look for tomorrow.”

“Were all of the fancy stores closed?” Toni teased. “I can’t imagine why else you would be here.”

Veronica blushed. It seemed stupid, now, her instinct to just push away the designer clothes on principle. “I’ll just wear something I already have at home.”

She turned to leave but Toni grabbed her arm. “I was just kidding around with you. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Toni’s eyes searched her face. “What’s the matter?”

Veronica felt herself tearing up. “I just- I can’t.” She was a second away from crying all over the ever tough, ever self-possessed Toni Topaz.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, V,” Toni said in a soft voice. “Why don’t we have a cup of coffee next door and we can figure this out, okay?”

Veronica took a deep breath and followed Toni out of the store and into the coffee shop next door. They sat down at a table and the server came over to them. “What can I get you?”

Veronica looked at the little menu on the table: Coffee, herbal tea, bottled water, pastry of the day. That was it.

“A cup of coffee,” Veronica ordered. “Regular, please.”

“Milk and sugar?”

“Yes, please.”

“Just black coffee for me,” said Toni.

The server nodded and left them alone.

“Okay, so tell me what’s going on,” said Toni. “You look really upset.”

“I just...I don’t even know where to start.” Veronica bit her lip. “I’m not usually so emotional. It’s just been an intense few days.”

“I know it has. So, let’s start with: why are you down on the Southside shopping for a dress?” asked Toni.

“I sent back my designer dress and shoes because I don’t want to be responsible for spending that kind of money on one night.” Veronica shook her head. “The way that I live; it’s unsustainable. Irresponsible. I just don’t want to spend my parents’ money anymore. I don’t like this... pampered, vapid life that I’m living.”

“So wearing a dress from a thrift shop will somehow fix your life?” Toni asked softly.

“At least it will make me feel like I’ve done one thing today that puts me in control.”

“Okay. And how are you going to pay for the dress that you do find?” asked Toni. “With your credit card. That your daddy also pays for, right?”

Veronica sighed. “God, this is hard.”

“Life isn’t easy, no.” Toni reached over and patted her hand. “I know, believe me.”

The waitress brought their drinks and set a tiny pitcher of milk and a box of sweetener packets in front of Veronica. She fixed her drink the way that she preferred it, heavy on the milk and sugar. 

“You need to earn your own cash,” Toni advised. “If you want to get out from under your family’s thumb, you need to take some initiative.”

“I’m supposed to be a full partner in the family business when I turn eighteen in two weeks,” said Veronica. “But I don’t even know if I want that anymore. My dream was always to take over Lodge Industries. Now I have no idea what to do.”

“What are you good at?” Toni asked her. “What are your skills, talents?”

Other than her singing voice, Veronica couldn’t think of one thing that qualified as a talent. However, there were things she enjoyed doing. “I like to sketch designs that come into my head for shoes, hats, dresses, things like that. I’m good at arranging flowers. I put together great seating charts for special events and I’m really a whiz at creating menus.” She blushed, embarrassed. “I know that none of these are particularly useful skills, outside of the high society bubble I grew up in.”

“That’s not true at all. You could help plan parties, weddings, things like that,” Toni gave her an encouraging smile. “It sounds like you’d be really good at that kind of job, Veronica.”

“I can’t make a living doing that,” Veronica protested. 

“Why not?” asked Toni.

Why not indeed? Veronica didn’t actually want to be part of Lodge Industries, if it meant making money in a manner that she considered unethical and morally wrong. All of her excitement over working with her dad on Dieciocho was gone, knowing that he was, once again, intending to fill her family’s pockets with ill gotten gains. 

The thought that Veronica needed to make a living, completely separate from her family assets, was mind-blowing. She had no idea what she’d do for money if she wasn’t getting it from her parents. 

“What do you do for money right now?” asked Veronica.

“I’m a Serpent, remember?” Toni said patiently. “I get my cut and that’s how I stay alive, these days.”

Being a Serpent would mean committing crimes, which would kind of negate the concept of trying to step away from the ill-gotten gains of criminal activity. “Fuck.” Veronica massaged her temples.

“Hey guys.” Betty sat down at the table, her voice very cheerful. “Can I join in all the fun girl time you are currently having?”

“There’s no fun to be had,” Veronica cautioned. “I’m just circling the drain of my existential crisis. Don’t mind me.”

“Don’t say that to Jughead,” Toni said seriously. “He’ll make you read Sartre. I don’t think you’re in the mood for that.”

“I’ve read fucking Sartre. He’s a drag.” Veronica sighed. She was developing one hell of a tension headache.

“So, girls,” Betty said, folding her hands. “I think we should go to my house, eat some candy and do a little shopping in my mother’s closet. She has her formal dresses in there, Polly’s prom dresses, my old ones, too. You guys can try on anything you like; I asked her and she said yes. I can whip out the sewing machine and adjust straps and hemlines, as needed. What do you say?”

“How did you know about the dress drama?” Veronica was perplexed. 

“Toni texted me.” Betty patted her shoulder. “Come on, V. Let’s get this dress drama fixed so you can have a fun date night with your incredibly sweet new guy, okay?”

Veronica let out a deep breath. “Okay.” She looked over at Betty. “You realize that Toni and I are at least four inches shorter than you, right? Nothing is going to fit.”

“Let’s just try it.” 

****  


An hour later, Veronica was laughing so hard she thought she might pee herself. She was lying across Alice Cooper’s king size bed, eating candy from a large bowl. Toni was next to her, laughing just as hard.

“So, is this me?” Betty struck a dramatic pose in the doorway of her mother’s closet. She was wearing a clingy silver lame dress with a draping neckline. The skirt of the dress barely covered her ass. She looked like she was ready to hit the dance floor in a 1970s disco.

“Hey, I like that,” Toni said approvingly. She sat up on Betty’s bed and pointed her lollipop at the dress. “I want to wear that.”

Veronica turned to her, chewing on a Twizzler. “You cannot be serious.”

“It’s a look,” Toni declared. “I like it.”

“You should try it on,” Betty encouraged. “I’ll change into this other purple thing.” She closed the door of the closet and opened it a few minutes later. She was wearing a clingy, dark purple velvet dress. It had a deep V neckline and bell sleeves. It looked phenomenal on her; the color looked great with her skin and brought out the vivid blue of her eyes.

“Betty, you look so sexy in that,” said Veronica. 

Betty raised her eyebrows and turned to look in the mirror. “Oh, I actually like this.”

“You can’t wear that much velvet. You look like a Ghoulie,” Toni protested.

Betty turned back and forth, admiring her reflection. “No, I like this. Jughead’s eyes are going to fall out of his head.”

“Well, it’s decided then. Jughead’s eyeballs rolling across the floor is clearly the goal for tomorrow night,” said Veronica.

“Hand me that silver dress to try on.” Toni took it from Betty and walked into the bathroom to change.

“What shoes should I wear with this?” asked Betty, looking down at her dress. 

“The stilettos you wore for Homecoming,” Veronica suggested.

Betty nodded. “Oh, that is a good idea.”

Toni returned. The dress, which had barely covered Betty’s butt, was just right on Toni, who was much shorter. The silver looked great with her pink hair and tawny skin.

“You’re a knockout in that!” Veronica clapped her hands. “Toni, you look fantastic.”

Toni smiled. “I know. I love it.”

“What size shoes do you wear?” Betty asked. “I’m an eight and so is my mom. Polly wears a seven.”

“I wear a six and half,” said Toni. “A seven might fit.”

Betty returned with a pair of strappy silver sandals from her sister’s closet. They fit Toni’s feet and she did a little spin. “This is perfect, Betty.” Toni looked at her with a wide grin. “I am ready to party in this outfit.”

Betty clapped her hands. “Yay! Okay, so that’s two down.” She turned to Veronica. “We need to find something for you, V.” 

Veronica gestured to the pile of rejected dresses that were next to her on the bed. “I’ve already tried all of these and none of them worked.”

“Let’s take another look in the closet,” Toni said encouragingly. 

The three of them walked into the spacious closet. There was an entire wall of eveningwear. Betty had explained that her mother attended a lot of black tie events for the _Register_ and she didn’t like to wear the same thing twice. Veronica had been impressed; Alice had more gowns that her mother did.

Betty pulled a few short dresses in bright colors off the rack and handed them to Veronica. “I think you should consider one of these. Mix it up a bit, V.”

Veronica held them up and rejected each one. “These aren’t really my style.”

“What about this?” Toni pulled down a strapless dress from the rack. It was a rich emerald green, with an elaborately pleated bodice and a short, full skirt made up of many layers of tulle.

“That’s Polly’s,” Betty noted. “She bought this to wear to Homecoming last year, but Jason stood her up. So it wasn’t ever actually worn.”

Veronica tried on the dress. The bodice fit well and she liked the intricate pleating of the design. The skirt, which must have been very short on Polly, hit her below the knee. She never wore a skirt that length, because she thought it made her look even shorter than she was. “I think the skirt is too long.” 

Betty stood back and tilted her head. “I like it. It’s a softer, sweeter look than you usually go for.”

Veronica took a look at herself in the cheval mirror. The full skirt and layers of material gave her a dreamy, romantic look. Patrick had told her that she was tiny and beautiful, like a doll, and this dress emphasized how petite and delicate she was. She had a feeling he would love it.

“I think we have a winner,” Veronica declared. “And I already have a pair of Louboutins in my closet that will match perfectly.” Reusing something she already had, she decided, was fine. She was just opposed to spending dirty money on frivolous crap. She pledged to wean herself off of the insane amount of money that she was blowing on her lifestyle.

They were leaving the closet when something caught Veronica’s eye. There was a selection of jewelry laid out on a small table. “Betty, look at that!” Veronica picked up a heavy gold necklace that looked like a snake.

“I love that!” Betty took a deep intake of breath. “I’m wearing that!”

Veronica handed her friend the necklace. "That's a statement necklace, for sure.

“Serpent themed accessories. Nice. Your mother really goes hard when she commits to an aesthetic,” said Toni. “Does she have her old Serpent jacket in here somewhere, too?

“No, I would have seen it,” Betty said wistfully. “I hope she shows it to me someday.”

“Your mother is a Serpent legend.” Toni raised her eyebrows. “You know, I have a hard time reconciling the bad ass bitch I’ve heard stories about with the Betty Crocker commercial I just met downstairs in your kitchen.”

Betty frowned. “Believe me, so do I.” She fastened the Serpent necklace around her neck and looked in the mirror. “Yeah, Mom’s not getting this one back.”

****  
Sweet Pea held Veronica’s hand as they walked up the front walk of his grandmother’s house on Second Avenue. Veronica felt a pang of sadness and regret as they stood on the front porch. The last time she’d been here, she’d thought her relationship with Sweet Pea was over. 

As though he knew what she was thinking, Sweet Pea lifted her chin and kissed her, sweet and gentle. “Welcome to my house, Veronica.” He swung the door open and she walked in.

There was no foyer; they had walked directly into the living room. Sweet Pea dipped his fingers into a holy water font mounted on the wall next to the door and made the sign of the cross. Veronica followed suit. The Flannerys, clearly, were very devout Catholics.

“Let me take your coat, doll,” Sweet Pea offered. Veronica unbuttoned her cloak and handed it to her boyfriend. He hung it on a coat rack, took off his own jacket and placed it next to hers.

To Veronica’s right was an arrangement of floral overstuffed furniture and a large oak coffee table. A large fireplace faced in red brick, with a mantel crammed full of framed photographs, took up the wall. 

Straight in front of Veronica was an archway that led into a large kitchen; she could see kitchen cabinets painted white and a blue and white tiled floor. To her left was a small, narrow hallway.

“Come in, come in!” called a friendly voice from the kitchen.

Sweet Pea took her hand and led her into the other room. It was a large eat-in kitchen; there was a table that seated eight in an alcove in front of a bay window. The appliances in the kitchen were all gleaming stainless steel. 

His grandmother was standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot. “Come give me a kiss, Patrick.”

Sweet Pea obediently kissed his grandmother on the cheek. She was tiny, even shorter than Veronica, and he towered over her. “Dinner smells fantastic, Gram.”

She smiled at him, her wrinkled cheeks rosy. “Thank you, dear. Now, stir this pot for me.” 

He took the spoon from her and began to stir. “Sure.”

She turned towards Veronica. “Welcome, my dear.” She hugged her. Mrs. Flannery wore a floral perfume and the scent enveloped Veronica in a cloud. “I’m very happy you could join us. Do you like corned beef and cabbage?”

“I’ve never had it,” Veronica replied honestly. Her parents favored French cuisine and she’d never ordered corned beef in a restaurant.

“You deprived child!” Mrs. Flannery laughed. “Well, you will eat well tonight, I’m sure.” 

“I brought a Guinness stout cake with a whipped cream frosting for dessert,” said Veronica. She held out the cardboard bakery box tied with string that she had picked up on the drive over.

“How thoughtful!” Mrs. Flannery patted her shoulder. “Of course you have nice manners. Maria was very strict about such things with her girls.” She opened the refrigerator. It was crammed full of food. She pushed things aside until she had made room for the cake box and then shoved it in.

Maria was Veronica’s grandmother, who she had never met. “My mother mentioned that you were friends with my grandmother,” said Veronica.

“We were best friends, from nearly the moment that Maria arrived here in Riverdale until the day she died.” Mrs. Flannery shook her head. “Your poor mother. All the rest of her family is gone.” She patted Veronica on the arm. “You must be a great comfort to her.”

“I wish I had known my grandparents and my aunt. My mother doesn’t talk about them much; I think it makes her very sad to remember them.”

“I have a lot of stories if you’d like to hear them. And photos, too, of course. Your family’s lives intertwined with mine for many years; First Communions; school concerts and performances; baby showers; graduations. I have lots of albums in this house.”

“I would love to hear your stories and look at your albums,” Veronica said sincerely.

“Gram, these potatoes look ready,” said Sweet Pea from where he stood dutifully by the stove.

Mrs. Flannery walked over and looked over into the pot. “Take that pot off the burner and cover it, Patrick. Then get the big platter down from the cupboard and my blue bowl.”

Sweet Pea nodded and began following his grandmother’s instructions.

“Is there something I can do to help you, Mrs. Flannery?” Veronica wanted to make herself useful, too.

“Can you help me set the table, dear?” Veronica did, setting down plates and flatware as Mrs. Flannery handed them to her. 

The doorbell rang. “That must be Melissa and Fangs.” Sweet Pea walked out to answer it. 

“Perfect timing. Everything is ready to eat,” said Mrs. Flannery. 

Fangs and Melissa walked in. Melissa hugged Mrs. Flannery and handed her a plate covered with foil. “Irish soda bread for the dinner,” she explained.

“Melissa made it herself,” Fangs said proudly.

Melissa turned to Veronica with a smile. “It’s so nice to see you, Veronica. I’m looking forward to getting to know you a bit better. Fangs and I spend a lot of time with Sweet Pea. It’s about time he found a girl. Now he won’t have to be the third wheel on our dates.”

Veronica laughed. “I’d be happy to be Sweet Pea’s date any time he needs one.”

Sweet Pea gave her a peck on the cheek. “Trust me, doll. I always want to have you around.”

They all sat down at the table together. The meal was served family style and Veronica filled her plate with corned beef, cabbage, carrots and whipped mashed potatoes. Everything looked and smelled wonderful. 

Sweet Pea filled her water glass from a large pitcher and smiled at her. He patted her knee under the table.

Everyone had their plates full now. Veronica picked up her fork and prepared to begin eating.

Mrs. Flannery bowed her head. Veronica realized they were about to say grace and quickly put down her fork. Melissa took her right hand, Sweet Pea her left, and she bowed her head just in time.

“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen,” said Mrs. Flannery.

“Amen,” echoed the others at the table.

The meal began in earnest as everyone began to eat. Veronica ate a piece of the bread that Melissa had brought. “This is delicious.”

Melissa smiled. “Thanks. I can give you the recipe if you like.”

“Oh, I have no idea how to bake,” said Veronica. “My idea of baking is swinging by my favorite bakery and picking up a baguette. My best friend, Betty, though; she’s an amazing baker.”

“I’m surprised that you don’t bake,” said Mrs. Flannery. “Maria was a wonderful baker.”

“I know that my mother has a box of family recipes, but I don’t remember her ever baking.” Until they moved to Riverdale, Veronica hadn’t even known that her mother was a good cook. They’d always had domestic staff to cook for them.

“My mother had me in the kitchen with her when I was knee high,” said Melissa. “By the time my brother and I were twelve, we were doing most of the baking- and cooking too!”

“That’s one of the rewards of having children.” Mrs. Flannery chuckled. “You can use them as unpaid labor!”

Sweet Pea smiled. “My father told us that you had a huge chore wheel on the refrigerator. All seven kids had chores, even when they were small.”

Mrs. Flannery nodded. “We ran a tight ship, my Sean and I. We had to; we were seriously outnumbered. The kids had to know who was boss.”

“Oh, they did,” Sweet Pea assured her. “Dad said they never got away with anything.”

“They were all angels until they hit puberty,”reminisced Mrs. Flannery. “And then the drama! Constant. Especially the girls; five girls sharing a bathroom was the source of daily squabbles. We had to make a schedule, believe it or not. Your aunt Shannon, she spent too long in there doing her hair and her younger sisters were always complaining about it.”

“All five girls shared one bathroom?” Veronica was flabbergasted.

“And a bedroom, too,” Mrs. Flannery clarified. “This is not a very big house. Sean and I had our own room, of course. The two boys shared a room. And the five girls were in the last bedroom.”

Veronica couldn’t imagine it. She’d always had her own private suite; a large bedroom and bathroom that were exclusively hers. She’d never even thought that it had been exceptional. As an only child, she’d never had any siblings to compete with.

“My sister has her own room and I have to share with our two brothers,” said Fangs. “When I was little, I wished I was a girl so I’d have my own room.”

Melissa leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m very glad that you’re a boy, Fangs.”

He laughed. “Me too, kitten.”

Fangs called his girlfriend kitten? Veronica smiled. That was totally adorable.

“Veronica, when did you and your mother move back to Riverdale?” asked Mrs. Flannery.

“Just before the school year began,” said Veronica. 

“And your father was released from prison fairly recently? I believe I read that in the paper.”

Veronica met Mrs. Flannery’s eyes. She hated talking about her father’s arrest, trial, and imprisonment. It was so humiliating. “Yes, Daddy’s been home for a while now.”

“You must be relieved to have your family all together again.”

Veronica weighed whether to be polite or to be honest. “The adjustment has been a little challenging for all of us,” she settled on. 

“You know, I always thought that Hermione would become one of my daughters-in-law.” Mrs. Flannery took a bite of cabbage. “Bobby was sweet on her for a long time. I wasn’t surprised when he came home with beautiful Latina as his wife.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Mom was a knockout.”

“Graciela was a wonderful daughter-in-law,” added Mrs. Flannery. “She wasn’t just beautiful; she was kind and loving and very smart. She was a teacher, just like Bobby, until Patrick was born. After that she stayed home with her children.”

Children? Veronica turned to Sweet Pea. 

“I had two little sisters,” he said quietly. “Gracie and Joan. They were in the car with us when we had the accident.”

Veronica was stunned. He’d lost his entire family in one fell blow- and he’d been in the car with them. How awful. She reached out and gripped his hand in hers. “Oh, Patrick.”

“The fact that my grandson survived that accident was a miracle,” Mrs. Flannery proclaimed. “I thank God for his grace every day. Every single day.”

“God works miracles, for sure. My mom just found out that her breast cancer is in remission.” Melissa smiled brightly. “It looks like she’s going to be fine.”

Fangs smiled at her and rubbed her back. “We were all praying for her, babe.”

Mrs. Flannery clapped her hands. “Oh, this is wonderful news! I’m so glad.”

“We’re almost done paying off the medical bills for her treatment,” said Melissa. “Between the GoFundMe and the proceeds from the rummage sale at Saint Bernadette’s we are down to the last few thousand dollars.”

“It wasn’t all covered by your insurance?” Veronica asked. Surely that was the point of health insurance?

“Not even close,” Melissa clarified. “Things are going to be tight for a little while. I’ve had to pick up double shifts at the Pink Pony to cover the bills.”

Fangs patted her leg. “You’ve been missing school and missing sleep, too. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I don’t have a choice.” Melissa shrugged. “Devon and I are both trying to come up with as much cash as we can. If Tall Boy would just pay his back child support for his kids, we’d be able to pay the bills for months.”

It wasn’t Veronica’s business, but she had to ask. “Tall Boy is your father?” she asked Melissa. There was no family resemblance there that she could see.

Melissa snorted. “God no. Devon and I have a different dad; that sperm donor, he’s long gone. But our two younger brothers, Skip and Luke, they are Tall Boy’s kids. He owes several year’s worth of child support.”

“Did your mom take him to court?” asked Veronica.

Melissa nodded. “She filed all the paperwork herself and got a court order to garnish his wages. For a while, the support money was coming in. But Tall Boy stopped working at the auto body shop and has been doing stuff off the books for FP. There’s no paycheck to garnish, not anymore.”

“Your mom needs to ask FP to take the money Tall Boy owes her out of whatever cut he gets,” Veronica suggested. “I understand that the Serpents are probably operating on a cash-only basis, but if Serpents protect their own, they need to look after Skip and Luke. You are a Serpent; their father is a Serpent. It’s not right.”

“Tall Boy does not appreciate anyone getting into his personal business,” said Fangs. “There’s some bad blood with Melissa’s mom, Amy. He said the twins weren’t his. They did a paternity test but he still wouldn’t pay up for a long time.”

“He’s a scumbag.” Melissa made a face. “He knows that we need the money to keep paying the bills and take care of the kids. He just doesn’t care.”

“When things were tight, a lot of Southside families used to make ends meet with groceries from the food bank. But someone bought the building they were in and booted them out at the beginning of the year,” said Mrs. Flannery. “It’s a disgrace.” 

Veronica had a sinking feeling that she knew just who had bought the building and booted out the food bank. Her father’s greed knew no bounds. Veronica blushed, filled with shame.

Sweet Pea patted Veronica’s knee under the table. As always, he seemed to sense what she was feeling. “I’m sure that they will find another location and reopen soon.” 

Veronica pledged to look into that right away. The food bank needed to be reopened to get people like Melissa’s family the help they needed. She would make sure the Lodge Charitable Trust would foot the bill for it, too.

Melissa shook her head. “It’s not just the food back. Community assistance from the town went away with the New Year too. We used to get a coupon book we could get groceries with. They said that there was no money in the town budget for it this year.”

“I know that St. Bernadette’s has been stepping in as much as they can, but everyone’s strapped for cash. People just don’t have a lot to give when times are hard,” said Mrs. Flannery.

Veronica knew exactly why these things had happened. She thought of her father asking her if she was still on board the family plan for the Southside. Buying up the properties and forcing out the tenants had seemed fine, in theory. Her father had explained that the new commercial real estate district in SoDale North would being more economic opportunities and better, cheaper housing. That was clearly bullshit. These people they were being driven out. There were no new opportunities for them here.

“Have you considered leaving the Southside?” asked Veronica. “Moving somewhere with better resources, better job opportunities?”

Fangs looked at her like she was crazy. “No one has money to leave. We can barely make the payment on the trailer.”

“The recession hit the Southside hard and we never really bounced back, “ said Melissa. “But I don’t think you can understand that, since you’re a Northsider. None of you understand how hard things are for us down here.” 

Veronica was stung, but Melissa had a point. “You’re right. I’ve never had to worry about keeping a roof over my head or getting enough to eat,” said Veronica quietly. “I’ve led a very privileged life.”

Sweet Pea put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s not Veronica’s fault that she was born into money. I’m sure that any one of us would have switched places with her, if we could.”

Mrs. Flannery shook her head. “Money just brings its own set of problems. I’ve been broke and I’ve been comfortable. There’s always something else to worry about, believe me.”

****

After dinner and board games, Veronica and Sweet Pea were finally alone. Fangs and Melissa had just left; Mrs. Flannery had been in bed for hours.

“Are you ready to spend the night with me?” Sweet Pea asked gently. 

“Definitely,” Veronica agreed.

He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked down the path to his car.

“So where are we going?” asked Veronica as they were backing out of the driveway.

“Someplace where we can have all the privacy we want and all the time we need.” He reached over and ran his fingers across her knee.

As they drove through the Southside, Veronica noticed a brightly lit drugstore on the corner. It triggered a reminder of something very important. “Sweet Pea, pull into that store. We need to pick up a few things.”

“Sure, doll.” He immediately swung into the parking lot and parked.

After they walked through the doors into the incredibly brightly lit space, Veronica followed the signs for the family planning aisle. As they turned into it, they saw Jughead and Betty standing in front of a condom display, staring at the boxes. Betty was chewing on her lower lip, her brow furrowed. 

Sweet Pea immediately stopped. “Fuck.” He looked very embarrassed.

“Don’t be shy,” Veronica said quietly. “Safe sex is important. Glad we’re all being smart and not stupid.”

Veronica walked towards her friends. Jughead turned his head, saw her and Sweet Pea, and winced. “Fuck.”

“Nice to see you too, Jughead,” Veronica teased.

Betty turned to Veronica with a sigh of relief. “Thank God you’re here. I tried Googling but I’m not coming up with anything.”

“If you ask her your question I’m not speaking to you ever again,” muttered Jughead.

“So, you’ve had lots of sex,” Betty said to Veronica, ignoring Jughead completely. “Maybe you’ll know.”

“I’ve had more sex than you, for sure. What’s the problem, B?”

“We tried these.” Betty tapped a box of condoms. “But I didn’t like them. They felt like they were slipping when we were having sex. All six of them, so it wasn’t like a... manufacturing issue. And I can’t deal with the slipping sensation. I just can’t. It’s a mood killer.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Veronica turned to Jughead. “So, usually, condoms don’t fit properly because the male equipment in question is shorter than average or bigger than average.”

“I don’t want to talk to you about this,” Jughead said, vigorously shaking his head no.

“Too bad! I don’t want you to get my friend pregnant,” Veronica said sharply. “Her mother had a teenage pregnancy. Her sister had a teenage pregnancy. Let’s not make it three for three, okay?”

Jughead blinked. “That’s an excellent point, V.”

“Thought that might help clarify things for you,” said Veronica.

“I think the condoms are too short,” said Jughead, in a tiny, quiet voice. “It doesn’t roll all the way to the bottom of my...shaft.”

“Thank you for your honesty, Jug. That answers that.” Veronica picked up a box of Magnums, condoms for more generously endowed dudes, and handed them to Jughead. “Go forth, be merry, have good sex and if you knock up my friend I will cut off your testicles.”

Betty kissed her cheek. “Thank you, V.” On that note, she took Jughead’s hand and they walked away.

“You are terrifying.” Veronica looked over her shoulder at Sweet Pea.

“How so?” Veronica was genuinely puzzled.

“Don’t you get embarrassed talking about this stuff?” asked Sweet Pea.

“No,” Veronica said patiently. “Because I’m an adult. If you’re not comfortable enough to talk about having safe sex, you probably shouldn’t be putting your body parts inside another person. Or vice versa.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Okay, Fair enough.” He picked up a box of condoms. “I bought a box of these already. They are in the car.”

“Those are crap.” Veronica leaned forward and picked up another box. “I only use these. I know the brand, I trust them, and I’m perfectly happy to buy them myself.”

“If that’s what you want, that’s fine with me,” answered Sweet Pea.

Veronica picked up a small tube of lube. “And this is always a good idea.”

Sweet Pea tilted his head. “What is that for?”

“Making sure that everything is nice and slippery. Slippery is good.” Veronica smiled up at him. “I want to make sure that things stay fun and not frustrating or painful. Particularly if you really do want to make love to me all night long.”

“Well then.” Sweet Pea took the condoms and lube from her. “I am all for fun.” They walked to the front of the store and he paid for the purchases. 

In the car, Sweet Pea put his hand up her skirt, his fingers caressing the inside of her thigh. Veronica breathed in sharply, remembering how good he had made her feel that afternoon in the library.

He leaned in to kiss her languidly. “I cannot wait to strip off all your clothes and take my time with you.” His voice was low and erotic and gave her butterflies in her stomach.

Veronica let out a deep breath. “Damn. You really say the sexiest things, Patrick.”

He smiled at her, his eyes bright. “I find you very inspirational, doll.” He turned the car on and pulled back out into traffic.

The place that Sweet Pea had decided on for their very sexy evening was the Shady Palm Motel, just over the Northside line. The last time Veronica had been there, she’d spotted Kevin’s dad making out with Josie’s mom. Gross.

Sweet Pea held Veronica’s hand as they walked into the manager’s office. A tired looking girl watched a shopping channel as she smoked a cigarette.

“You want the whole night or just by the hour?” she asked, her tone dripping with boredom.

“Whole night.” Sweet Pea slid a handful of crumpled bills across the counter and she slid a key back to him.

Room 212 was, without a doubt, the saddest looking hotel room Veronica had ever seen. No four star rating for this accommodation, that was for sure. The decor in the room looked like it hadn’t been changed since the 1970s. But it was immaculately clean, which was much more important to her than whether or not it was in style.

Sweet Pea closed the door behind him and locked it with both bolts. With a sweep of his arms, he stripped the faded floral comforter off the bed and tossed it in a corner. 

Veronica set her overnight bag on the dresser and placed her purse next to it.

“I’m sure you’re used to much fancier places than this.” Sweet Pea looked around and shrugged. “I’m sorry it can’t be a little more romantic.” He threw his jacket over the back of a chair.

“I don’t care about where we are. I just want to be with you.” Veronica walked over to him and hugged his waist.

He looked down at her, his eyes serious. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

He unfastened her cloak and placed it on top of his jacket. “I want this to be special for you. You deserve romance, doll. You deserve the best of everything.” He gently kissed her lips. “Turn around, beautiful.”

Veronica obliged and Sweet Pea moved her hair away from the nape of her neck. He kissed her there, very tenderly. Button by button, he unfastened the back of her dress. As it slipped forward over her shoulders, he ran his thumbs across her skin, making her shiver.

Veronica sighed. “Patrick.”

He slid his hands down the side of her body, tracing the line of her waist and then cupping the curves of her ass. Veronica sighed, her body filled with pleasure at his touch.

“I want to see you naked,” he whispered. “Can I take off your dress?”

“Please do.”

He grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, then resumed his exploration of her body. He kissed her gently, working his way all the way down her back and along her spine. 

Veronica had never had a partner who had taken things this slow. Sweet Pea was being incredibly patient and tender with her. She found it immensely arousing.

When Sweet Pea reached her bra, he unfastened it and tossed it aside. He reached his hands around to cup her breasts, his thumbs gently rubbing her nipples. She gasped out loud.

“Do you like that?”

“Very much.” Veronica was already so turned on and she wanted to touch him, too. She turned around to face him and pulled his shirt over his head. His chest was beautiful. She leaned forward and kissed one of his nipples. She loved the way his skin tasted. 

He rubbed the back of her neck as she sucked on his nipple. His fingers kneaded her skin, his breathing loud. She moved her mouth away and gave her attention to his other nipple.

“I’m so hard for you already,” he whispered. ”I need you naked. Now.”

Veronica reached down and unfastened his belt. She unzipped his pants and closed her hand around him. He made a choked sound when she touched him. He was thick and hard and hot in her hand.

He picked her up by the waist and gently tossed her onto the bed. She looked up at him as he stripped off what was left with his clothes. He was very aroused; his erection was already weeping for her. He climbed onto the bed next to her.

“I want to take you in my mouth.” She straddled him, her hands on his hips. 

“But I want to make love to you, Veronica.” His voice was breathy; he was so turned on.

“I want to taste you first.” She’d wanted to ever since she’d licked his skin that first night. She slid down and sucked him into her mouth. He was salty and sweet and she could already taste the pre-cum on her tongue. If they’d had sex, he would have come too soon. It was better that he do it now, in her mouth. Then they could take their time with round two.

Veronica liked giving head; she was good at it, too. She prided herself on her skill. She enjoyed the powerful feeling that it gave her; knowing that her partner was completely under her spell, lost in pleasure because of what she was doing to him.

Sweet Pea was no exception. He was calling her name, his hands tangled in her hair as she swirled her tongue around him. He began thrusting wildly, his cock sliding down her throat. She sucked harder, knowing that he was going over the edge, and she was right. She pulled back just in time to swallow a warm mouthful of him.

He let go of her hair and Veronica rolled away. He pulled her up to his face to kiss her. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. He kissed her cheek, her chin. “My God, Veronica.”

“I’m glad I made you happy.” He’d made her happy, too. She was so very turned on now, having watched him come for her.

“I’ve never been this happy in my life. Never.” Sweet Pea cupped her face in both hands and gave her a lingering kiss. He was smiling and flushed and gorgeous. He’d never been more handsome than he was right now, completely blissed out from the orgasm she gave him. “But you need to be happy too.”

He moved down to the foot of the bed and began kissing her. First her ankle; up her calf; then to her thigh. There was something incredibly sexy about a watching a big man being very gentle.

He pulled down her panties, tossing them aside. Gently, he spread her thighs apart. “I’ve never done this before, doll. Tell me if I do anything you don’t like.”

And with that, he sucked her clit right into his mouth. First he was very tentative and gentle, but as she began to moan and move under him, he became more forceful. It felt good, great, and he kept up the same amazing sensation until she was coming, her hands twisted in his hair.

“You liked that?” he asked breathlessly.

“God, yes,” Veronica moaned.

“Awesome. Do you want me to do it again?”

“God, yes, Patrick, please.”

He was very gifted with his mouth and tongue and it felt so good. “Use your fingers,” she whispered. “Patrick.”

He moved his mouth away from her and slipped a finger inside her. “You like my fingers inside you?”

“So much. God, yes. I want your mouth too. Both, please.”

“Oh!” He sounded surprised. “Sure.” He did as she asked and it was so, so good.

“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop. Patrick, please. Patrick!” She came again, screaming his name. 

He scrambled up from the bottom of the bed and moved between her legs. “I can’t wait anymore. Please let me take you.”

“Yes,” Veronica said breathlessly. “I want you inside me. Please.”

He rolled the condom on with shaking hands and thrust inside her. “Oh my God. Veronica.” He was very, very gentle, moving tentatively within her. 

She gripped his ass in her hands and wrapped her leg around his. “You feel so good. More. Harder.”

He gasped her name as he thrust in and out of her, stronger and faster. “Veronica.” 

He was thick and hard and the way he moved inside her felt so wonderful now. “You’re so good, Patrick. So good.”

“Tell me you like this.” He bit his lip; his control was already fraying. “This so amazing. God, it feels so good to be inside you. My God.”

“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” She wanted to come with him; it wouldn’t take long. She was already on edge from all the foreplay. She’d never had a man spend so much time pleasing her before the sex even began.

“Baby doll.” He gripped her hips and moved faster within her. “Want to watch you come for me.”

“Want you.” It was so good. They were both going to come soon, she could tell.

“You’re so beautiful like this, underneath me.” He smiled down at her, his face flushed.

“You look so happy.” 

“I’ve never been so fucking happy, doll.”

“I love fucking you.” Veronica’s body was winding up for an orgasm. “I love your cock inside me.”

“Every inch is for you. All of me is for you. All of me is yours, Veronica.”

Veronica’s control broke and she cried out as she came. She grabbed onto his forearms with all her might. “Yes! Oh Yes!”

“Oh my God, yes. That’s it.” He thrust harder. “My beautiful girl. Mine.”

She was just starting to recover from her orgasm when he hit his. His entire body shuddered as he gasped her name. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight as he pumped wildly into her. 

He calmed down and kissed her sweetly. “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

“No, it was wonderful.”

He kissed her. “Good.” He sat up, removed the condom and tossed it into the trash can near the bed. “Yuck. Sex is so fun but condoms feel slimy.”

“A necessary evil,” Veronica pulled him back into bed. “Come back here, I’m not done with you yet.”

He pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. “You’re so small and I’m so big.” He kissed her cheek. “It’s a major turn on for me, you know.”

“Oh really?” Veronica laughed. She was not surprised at all by this revelation.

“I was afraid that I would be too rough with you.” He gently ran his hand along her breast.

“You were very gentle with me,” she assured him. “Next time, you don’t have to be so gentle. I won’t break, I promise.”

“So you want there to be a next time?” He gently kissed the back of her neck. “That’s good, that means I did a good job. I wasn’t sure I did okay.”

“As soon as you’re ready, we can do it again,” Veronica assured him. “Over and over again.”

“Oh, really? That’s great.” He kissed her shoulder. “You seemed to like everything. I was nervous, especially about going down on you. Did you really like it?”

“You made me come three times, Patrick. Obviously I loved it,” said Veronica, snuggling against him. 

He sighed and pulled her closer against him. “Making love to you is the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt. I want to do this all the time.”

“We can do this as much as you want,” said Veronica. 

He laughed. “You may regret saying that.”

“I doubt it. I want to have sex with you as much as possible, too.”

“Do you now?” One of his hands drifted down between her legs. “Tell me about that.”

“I want you, Patrick.” He slipped a finger inside her and she gasped. “Oh, yes.”

Sweet Pea bit her ear as he played with her. “Come for me. I love watching you come.”

She could feel his cock swell and harden against her ass. He was turned on and so was she. “I want you to take me again.” She pulled on his wrist and he moved his hand away from her body.

“Roll on your back, babe.” He did so and she straddled him. His long, thick erection was ready and waiting for her. “Condom, please?”

He handed her one and she carefully rolled it onto him. When he was ready, she guided his cock inside her. “Oh my,” he whispered and bit his lip.

She moved up and down on him. He looked up at her with soft eyes, his hair disarranged on the pillow. His hands moved up her thighs, to her hips, over her abdomen and up her breasts. He was so huge and so gentle with her.

“I love your big hands and your big feet and your huge cock.” Sex with him was amazing; she loved the way that their bodies fit together.

“All for you.” He cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumbs on her nipples. “Fuck me harder, baby. Please, doll, fuck me. Please fuck me. I need you.”

She picked up the pace. After a few minutes, he began thrusting from below her, matching her rhythm. “That’s good, that’s so good, Patrick.”

“I love watching you come,” he whispered. “I love being so close to you like this.”

“I’m going to come again for you. Soon, very soon.” It was building up inside her like a bolt of electricity.

“Scream my name.” He bit his lip and thrust faster. “I want to hear it. Please, please, Veronica.”

Veronica was so close, teetering on the edge. She reached down and rubbed her own clit, just the way she needed.

“Oh my God, doll. Please keep doing that. Look at me, look at me.” Sweet Pea was flushed and sweating under her, rapidly losing control.

Veronica looked him right in the eyes as she rubbed her clit in a circle.

“I’ve never seen anything so sexy in my fucking life,” he hissed. He grabbed her hips and thrust harder and Veronica fell apart. 

She came, her body overwhelmed with pleasure. “Patrick.”

“Yes, baby, yes,” Sweet Pea was pounding into her, his hands tight on her waist. “I’m coming. Oh God. God. Help me.”

They were clinging hard to each other in a heaving mess of sweaty limbs. Veronica gasped, trying to catch her breath. Sweet Pea looked absolutely blissful as he came, his mouth open wide.

Soon after, they curled together in the bed and Sweet Pea brushed her damp hair away from her face. “I knew it would be like this with you,” he said tenderly. “I just knew.”

“It’s different with you.” Veronica threw her leg over his waist and kissed his chest. “Everything is different with you, Patrick.”

He wrapped his arm around her. “Veronica, I knew you were the one I’d been waiting for.” He kissed her cheek. “You had a piece of my heart from the moment I first saw you, doll. I love you.”

Where once that sentiment scared her, she felt only peaceful happiness hearing him say it. Resting her head against his chest, she answered softly. “I’m falling in love with you, too, Patrick, and it’s terrifying,” she admitted. 

“Don’t be scared. Just let yourself fall. I’ll catch you, I promise.” He kissed her temple.

“It felt like my heart was breaking, walking away from you,” Veronica whispered. “If I lose you again, it’s going to hurt so much.”

He cradled her close to him and whispered in her ear. “I will always be right by your side, doll, no matter what happens. I promise, Veronica.”

She fell asleep in his arms, completely content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading :)


	8. Whatever Forever

Sweet Pea woke up Veronica just before dawn. “We need to get home before anyone notices we’re gone, baby.”

“I wish we could just stay here in bed.” Veronica was incredibly relaxed and happy, lying in his arms. She’d been happier with Patrick, in this crappy motel room, than she had ever been in her entire life. She wanted to stay here forever, just the two of them.

Sweet Pea gently kissed her, his hand stroking her hair. “Someday, doll, we’ll stay in bed as long as we like. But not today.”

It occurred to Veronica that waking up with his arms around her would be the highlight of her day, every day. “Being with you makes me so content. Just seeing your face, having you with me, makes everything better.”

“Me too.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You look really beautiful in the morning, do you know that? No makeup, messed up hair, still totally gorgeous. Even more gorgeous, maybe.”

“You’re really cute in the morning, too.” She ruffled his hair, letting the dark strands slide through her fingers. “And very sexy.”

His lips curled into a smirk. “Oh yeah? You think I’m sexy, Miss Lodge?”

“Uh huh.” She licked his neck and sucked on his tattoo. “Everything about you turns me on, Mr. Flannery.”

“The feeling is definitely mutual.” He slid down her body and moved between her thighs.

Veronica gasped and clutched his shoulders. “Patrick!”

****

It was just after eight in the morning when Sweet Pea pulled his car in front of the Pembrooke and turned off the ignition. He leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss. “What time do I need to pick you up, baby?”

“Be here at six, please.” Veronica nuzzled his neck. She didn’t want to leave him, not even for a few hours.

There was a tap on the car window. Veronica turned to see Andre, looking grim. “Miss Lodge, Mr. Flannery. Mr. Lodge is waiting to speak with you both.”

“Oh shit,” Veronica murmured under her breath. Her happy little bubble of contentment immediately disappeared.

Sweet Pea looked at her, his eyes worried. “Your father is going to fucking shoot me.”

They held hands and followed Andre up the sidewalk and into the elevator.

As they walked to the entrance to Veronica’s apartment, Hiram opened the door for them. He was wearing his bathrobe and looked tired.

“Please let your mother know you are home, Veronica, and put some _café con leche_ on for us in the kitchen.” He raised one eyebrow. “You are wearing a Serpent jacket?”

Patrick had given the jacket back to her this morning and she’d happily accepted it. “Yes, _Papi_. It was a gift from Patrick.”

“Go put it in your room before your mother sees you,” said Hiram. He turned to Sweet Pea with a frown. “You, Mr. Flannery, are coming with me. Let’s have a discussion in my office.”

“Daddy-” Veronica began.

Hiram held up one finger. “Not one word, princess. Not one.”

Sweet Pea kissed her cheek and murmured low in her ear. “It’ll be fine, doll. I love you.”

Veronica wasn’t so sure as she watched Sweet Pea follow Hiram to his office and shut the door.

She took off her jacket in her bedroom and put it on the bed. Why hadn’t her father wanted her mother to see it? She didn’t have any idea.

Next she knocked on her parent’s bedroom door, but her mother wasn’t inside. Hermione was in the kitchen, fully dressed and making breakfast.

“If you’d been back by seven, we never would have known, _mija_. You need to be more discreet.” Her mother shook her head. “Veronica, you have a huge love bite on your neck. Go cover that up.”

“Daddy already spoke to me,” said Veronica. “He must have already seen it.”

“Don’t wave a red flag in front of a bull!” Hermione said crossly. “Go cover it up!”

In her bedroom, Veronica used concealer and powder to cover up the deep purple mark on her skin. Through the wall, she could hear the muffled voices of two people yelling at each other: Sweet Pea and her father.

Veronica was worried. What the hell would her father do? Would he try to break up the two of them? She didn’t think that Sweet Pea would bend to pressure from her father, but what if he did?

Veronica walked out of her room and quietly stood in front of her father’s door. She pressed her ear to the door, listening. Her father was rattling off an angry rant in Spanish. To her surprise, Sweet Pea replied in Spanish, speaking just as fast, but much more calmly.

“Stop eavesdropping.” Her mother took her arm and led her to the dining table. Hermione had already set out glasses of juice and bowls of fruit salad. A pot of _café con leche_ was waiting.

“I just want to know what is going on in there!” Veronica was dying of curiosity.

“Stay out of this, _mija_. You are going to have to get used to your man having conversations that are not your concern. I know that will be hard for you, but that is the way the world works.”

Veronica put her hands on her hips. “Patrick and I are not going to have the kind of relationship you and Daddy have.”

Hermione raised one eyebrow. “Oh, really? What exactly do you mean by that, Veronica?”

Her father’s office door swung open and Sweet Pea walked out, with Hiram close behind. Sweet Pea’s jaw was set; her father had a smile on his face.

Hermione walked over to Sweet Pea and put her hand on his arm. “Please sit down and join us for breakfast, Patrick.”

Sweet Pea looked over at Hiram.

Veronica’s father nodded and slapped his back. “Please. Sit down.”

The Lodges took their usual place at breakfast, with Hermione and Hiram at opposite ends of the table. But this time, Sweet Pea sat across from Veronica.

“So, I understand that there is a dance tonight at school,” said Hermione.

“Yes, there is. Veronica and I are going with a group of friends,” Sweet Pea replied.

“Which friends?” asked Hiram. “Friends who are Serpents?”

“For the most part. Betty and Jughead,” replied Veronica. “Sweet Pea’s best friend Fangs and his girlfriend Melissa. Our friend Toni Topaz and her date.”

“I’d like to meet these new friends before this outing tonight.” Hiram poured himself a glass of juice. “If Veronica will be taking on the risks of being part of the Serpent world, I want to know the company she is keeping. I would like to acquaint myself with the younger generation.”

Veronica was surprised. “I’m surprised that you’re being so supportive, Daddy. Sheriff Keller mentioned that my association with the Serpents reflected badly on our family.”

“Don’t worry about Keller.” Hiram waved a hand in dismissal. “That one knows nothing of honor, of brotherhood.”

“I’m sorry, sir. It didn’t occur to me that your daughter wearing Serpent leathers would reflect badly on your family,” Patrick said, looking at Hiram.

Hiram shrugged. “I don’t believe that it does. My daughter keeping company with a Serpent sends a strong message of strength and protection, one I support, and which indicates an affinity for the Southside which is on message for Lodge Industries.”

Veronica was appalled. “Daddy, I’m not wearing a Serpent jacket as some sort of pro-SoDale marketing message. It has nothing to do with business.”

“Excuse me?” Hermione looked over at Veronica, her brow furrowed. “You’re wearing a Serpent jacket now?”

Sweet Pea licked his lips and looked over at Hermione. “She is, Mrs. Lodge. I gave her my jacket. It means that she-”

“I know what it means!” Hermione shook her head. “No. I won’t have it! My sister-”

Hiram interrupted Hermione. “ _Cállate la boca!_ We will discuss your concerns later, in private.”

Hermione’s face flushed. She poured champagne into her glass and took a deep sip.

Veronica hated it so much when her parents argued like this. It was even more upsetting with Sweet Pea here to witness their dysfunctional relationship. Her father could be so cutting and cold and Veronica knew it hurt her mother. She wanted to comfort her mother or defend her, but getting in the middle of her parents’ disputes never helped anything.

“Mrs. Lodge, I understand your concerns. But I would lay down my life to protect Veronica.” Sweet Pea looked over at Hermione. “I would never let anything happen to her.”

Hermione rubbed her jaw, her hand trembling. “I’m sure that you have the very best of intentions, Patrick. But it is impossible for you to keep that promise.”

“ _Mi vida_ , rest easy. I am confident that Veronica is in good hands.” Hiram nodded at Sweet Pea.

“Daddy, I appreciate your vote of confidence, but you know I’m not exactly unable to defend myself.” Veronica took a sip of her coffee. “You don’t know this, Patrick, but our family has dealt with death and kidnapping threats in the past. My father made sure that I had self-defense training and became comfortable with firearms when we lived in Manhattan. If I’m in a dangerous situation, I won’t need you to save me. I can take care of myself.”

“But you won’t have to,” Sweet Pea said immediately, his voice full of promise. “I’d never let you get into a situation I couldn’t get you out of.”

“Let’s discuss something more pleasant,” suggested Hiram, obviously eager to change the subject. “I trust you have something appropriate to wear this evening, Patrick? If not, I can call my tailor and have you taken care of.”

Sweet Pea blushed. “Thank you, sir. I’m all set, though.”

“Since your father would like to spend some time with your new friends, Veronica, perhaps you can invite them to get ready here,” suggested Hermione. “We can get a couple of girls over here from the Beauty Bar to do hair and makeup. How does that sound?"

“I don’t think that’s necessary, _Mami_.” Veronica still didn’t feel right spending her parent’s money on pointless luxuries.

“I’m sure your friends will love it,” Hermione protested with a wave of her hand. “It would be so fun for them, don’t you think?”

“Indulge your mother, please,” said Hiram. “She is being very generous with you.”

Veronica was backed into a corner. It would be rude to turn down her mother’s suggestion and her father clearly wanted her to agree. “Of course. Yes, let’s have everyone here to get pampered before the dance.”

“Wonderful! I shall make the arrangements.” Hermione took out her phone and began texting. “And we’ll get some catering in, too, _mija_. Perhaps some fingers foods, light appetizers before you leave for dinner?”

Veronica knew this was her mother’s way of keeping the peace and distracting herself. “That sounds lovely, Mom.”

They ate their breakfast and as soon as he was done eating, Sweet Pea stood up. “Thank you for your hospitality. Mr. Lodge, Mrs. Lodge.”

Hiram clapped Sweet Pea on the back. “We will see you this evening.”

Sweet Pea smiled. “Yes, sir, absolutely.”

“Please tell your grandmother I’m looking forward to brunch tomorrow, dear.” Hermione stood on tiptoe and kissed Sweet Pea’s cheek.

Veronica watched how her parents acted with Sweet Pea, impressed. They liked him. Both of them seemed to approve. But did they really or was there something else going on?

“Let me walk you downstairs, Patrick.” Veronica took Sweet Pea’s hand and they walked out to the elevator.

Once they were inside, Veronica turned to him. “Okay, spill. What did my father say to you?”

“That was between the two of us, Veronica.” Sweet Pea leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips.

Veronica’s brown furrowed. “I thought you didn’t want there to be secrets between us.”

“I don’t,” Sweet Pea paused, as if thinking of how much to share. “Basically, he was less than thrilled about our overnight date and he wanted to know what my intentions are.” He reached down and stroked her hair.

“God, that’s insanely old-fashioned.” Veronica was embarrassed.

He lifted her chin and kissed her, his mouth warm against hers. “I told him that I want to marry you and give him lots of grandchildren,” he murmured, smiling into her mouth.

Veronica laughed. “Oh yeah? Lots?”

Sweet Pea grabbed her waist with both hands and pulled her close to him. “I think seven would be a good number.” He deepened the kiss and his hands slid down, cupping her ass.

Veronica moaned as he ground against her. She was breathless and more tan a little turned on by the time they reached the lobby and the elevator doors opened.

Sweet Pea gently broke away from her. “I need to get home,” he said, softly caressing the side of her face. “But I’ll be back later.”

It was time for him to go, but Veronica badly wanted him to stay. “I’ll miss you.”

Sweet Pea kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you soon, doll. You’re my one and only. I love you.” With a sweet smile, he turned and walked out to his car.

Back in her room, Veronica took a long, hot shower. Their lovemaking the night before had been passionate and she was sore in random places. She found a few bruises she didn’t remember getting. The sex had started out gentle and ended rough. She’d liked all of it, the tender and the urgent. She loved his hands and his body; he was so strong and so big. She shivered, thinking about how much she’d wanted him and how much she wanted to do all of it, everything, all over again with him.

When she was dressed, she called her friends to invite them over to get ready and went out to find her father. Her parents were sitting side-by-side on the couch. Her dad was reading the _Register_ ; her mother was on her laptop.

“Veronica.” Hermione stood up. “Your father and I have had a discussion about this Serpent jacket issue. I would like you to come with me to our room, please, and bring that Serpent jacket.”

Veronica looked at Hiram, who only eyed her and nodded toward the bedroom. “Do as your mother says.”

Veronica retrieved the jacket and followed her mother. “ _Mami_ , I don’t need a lecture. It’s just a jacket.”

“No, it is far more than that.” Her mother swung back a large floral still life on the wall, revealing the wall safe. After punching in the code, she rifled through the safe and brought out a large black box. She dialed a combination on it and pulled out a handgun.

Veronica’s eyes opened wide. “Mom, what are you doing?” Veronica knew there were guns in their home, but she very rarely saw them, aside from periodic cleaning and maintenance. She had carried one in a concealed holster during the lead up to her father’s trial and during it, at the height of the death threats. Once her father was convicted, her mother had taken the Glock from her and she hadn’t seen it since.

“If you are going to spend time in the Southside with the Serpents, I want you to have protection.” Hermione gestured at Veronica with her fingers. “Hand me that jacket.”

Veronica thought she was trying to take the jacket away so she held it tighter. “Mom, no. Patrick gave it to me and I want to wear it!”

“Just do as I say, _mija_! Don’t argue!” Hermione said sharply.

Veronica gave up the fight and handed her mother the Serpents jacket. Her mother lay it down on the bed and spread it open.

Hermione pointed to a pocket inside the jacket. “It’s big enough to can fit your Glock in there. This one is fully loaded. If you find yourself with no other option, use it.” Her mother put the gun into the pocket of the jacket.

“Jesus, Mom! I’m not going to walk around town carrying a gun!” Veronica was appalled. “This isn’t like during Daddy’s trial. Nothing is gong to happen to me!”

“If you’re not carrying a gun, then you’re not leaving this house in that jacket!” Hermione said sharply. “Serpent leathers attract the wrong kind of attention. I know that Patrick will protect you with his life, but you need to protect yourself, too. I’ve buried my mother, my father and my sister. I refuse to bury my only child!”

Veronica understood that her mother had faced a lot of losses, but this was crazy. “Walking around with a loaded gun is more dangerous than just wearing a jacket, Mom!”

Hermione shook her head. “No. If Helen had been carrying a gun, she would still be alive today, Veronica. She didn’t even carry a knife; she thought her big strong man would protect her. She waited for someone else to take action and that was a mistake that cost her life!”

Veronica knew this was a lost cause. “Fine, _mami_. I will take the gun.”

Hermione nodded. “Don’t use it if you don’t have to, of course.” Her mother pulled something else out of the safe. “At close range, use this.” She handed her a small purple plastic gadget.

“Is this a flashlight?” Veronica turned it around in her hand, looking at it.

“No, Veronica, it’s a stun gun; twenty million volts. It doesn’t look threatening but it packs a punch.” Her mother looked at her seriously. “If someone attacks you, you need to be able to protect yourself. Now you can.”

“Mom, you know that if I’m truly threatened, I can protect myself without these weapons.” Her parents had been very concerned, to the point of paranoia, about kidnapping threats when she was younger and then the death threats against the family during the trial. Veronica had learned a lot from her self-defense classes and, having taken down her very large instructor repeatedly at the end of the course, she felt very confident in her ability to defend herself.

Veronica did not want to carry around a loaded gun. She felt perfectly comfortable with her Glock; she had been well trained. She just didn’t want to be in a position to make the decision to use it. That was the major message that had been instilled in her: don’t use a gun unless you accept the possibility of ending another person’s life. Veronica never wanted to be in that position.

Hermione tucked the stun gun inside the jacket. “Now, I know that you’ll be safe.” Her mother kissed her cheek and caressed her chin with her hand. “I just want you to be protected, _mija_. You are my world, my everything.”

Veronica hugged her mother tightly. “You worry too much.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and let her go. “Mom, I was so worried that you were just going to tell me to take off the jacket, stay away from Patrick and possibly lock me up in my room for the rest of my life.”

Hermione smiled sadly, tucking a lock of hair behind Veronica’s ear. “My parents did all of these things with Helen. Banned her boyfriend from our house; pulled her out of Riverdale High and put her in St. Anne’s; took away her car, her cash, everything. Nothing made a difference. You can’t fight love.”

“I’m sorry that you lost your sister,” said Veronica softly. “But I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Her mother rubbed her shoulder. “I like Patrick. I trust him to take care of you. I think that he is good for you and I believe that someday he will be a very important member of this family.” Her mother gave Veronica a knowing smile. “Your father approves. He’ll make an excellent son-in-law.”

“ _Mami_!” Veronica was appalled. “We just started dating.”

Hermione laughed. “Oh, I know. But I also know that that one is going to father my future grandchildren. Patrick, he’s the one for you. I know that my mother is smiling down from heaven right now, that the two of you have made your match.”

Veronica blushed. “Mom. Just...slow it down a little.”

“Just remember. First marriage; then baby.” Hermione wagged her finger at her daughter. “Don’t make your father walk you down the aisle with a big, pregnant belly. It would hurt his pride.”

“Oh my God, Mom. Stop.” Veronica walked out of her mother’s bedroom, appalled.

Her father was on the couch, still reading the paper. It was the perfect time to take him aside and ask about Jughead’s allegations about the development of the Southside.

“Daddy, I’d like to discuss some things with you in your office.”

Her father smiled. “In the mood to discuss business?”

“I am.”

In her father’s office, Veronica sat down behind his desk.

“I believe you’re in my seat, princess.” Her father sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

She logged onto his computer, pulled up the Dieciocho files, and turned the monitor to face her father. “This is what we discussed and agreed on,” said Veronica, indicating the Southside map. “You told me that the plans we had for Dieciocho were what is on this map. You never mentioned the trailer park; you never mentioned Southside High. But I’ve been informed that you have purchased them both.”

“I didn’t realize that you wanted to be bothered with every little nuance of this project.” Hiram looked at her, his face carefully blank.

“Don’t play that game with me, Daddy,” Veronica snapped. “I know you well enough to know when you’re lying.”

“What exactly are you accusing me of, _mija_?” Her father frowned.

“You have put me in a terrible position.” Veronica was angry about that and she let her father know it. “I was blindsided by my closest friends because you kept me in the dark! You told me that you wanted to revitalize the Southside, but that’s not true. You bought the land that Southside High is on and the trailer park. You made sure that the food bank closed down, too. I suspect that you also had a hand in getting rid of the community assistance that the town used to provide. You are literally taking food out of the mouths of children, Daddy!”

“You can’t let your emotions get in the way of business.” Hiram glared at her. “I thought you were mature enough to make hard decisions. Maybe I was mistaken about your character, princess.”

“I understand that SoDale North will bring needed revenue to Southside. There is a great need for decent affordable housing and well-paying jobs. Lodge Industries can make that happen and I was very proud to be part of that,” Veronica said passionately. “But what you are doing is intentionally driving out families from the Southside. Taking away their homes and their social safety nets.”

“Lodge Industries is not a charity, Veronica. We have the charitable trust for our philanthropic endeavors.” Hiram raised his eyebrows. “SoDale North and Crystal Lake Estates are the future of Lodge Industries, Veronica. You wanted the Lodges to be legitimate businessmen. This is how that will come to pass.”

“Is that really the way the world works? Either we keep our hands dirty, with drugs and crime, or we go straight at the expense of innocent people?”

“Yes,” Hiram said simply, folding his hands in front of him. “That really is the way this harsh, cruel world works. I can be a good man and a poor man or a bad one and a rich one. The drug running, the illegal weapons, the fraud, all of that is what makes good things possible like buying new backpacks for the needy at Riverdale High. Or, say, paying eighty thousand dollars of medical debt for a family that was in need.” Hiram’s eyes darkened; he was clearly still angry that he’d paid the bills for Fred Andrews.

Veronica covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Daddy.”

“This is my life. These are my choices.” Hiram leaned forward. “I promised your mother that I would take care of her and of you. Instead I went off to prison and left her alone to scrub floors and wait tables!” Hiram slammed his fist on the desk. “This is my life, Veronica. These are my choices! I can be a good father, do what you want to regain your love, and lose everything I’ve worked for. Or you, Veronica, you can be a good daughter. You can learn the way the family business has to work, has always worked, and make your peace with how we get our hands on our wealth. You can accept that dark burden, the way that I have, that your mother has, and use our dirty money to make a more beautiful world.”

Veronica thought of the spreadsheets she had seen, the legitimate businesses that were in the red. She knew that what her father was telling her was true. What she wanted, more than anything, was for the people she loved to be safe. Everything else was less important.

“I don’t want you to go back to prison,” Veronica said softly. “I’m scared that it will happen again if you keep breaking the law.”

Hiram walked around the desk and closed his arms around her. “That will never happen again, _mija_. Don’t you worry about that for one second. I am more powerful now that I have ever been.”

Veronica closed her eyes and hugged her father hard. “I’m scared for you and _mami_. And I’m scared for Patrick, too.”

Hiram patted her back and let her go. “Patrick informed me that Keller has his suspicions. Don’t worry; the entire security protocol and supply chain are being changed as we speak. And I’ve already made a call. Keller, it seems, has forgotten his place in the universe. Soon, he’ll be out of our way.”

Veronica looked at her father in horror. “Daddy! You can’t just...kill Kevin’s dad.”

Hiram laughed, throwing his head back. “No, no. Tom is being kicked upstairs, as they say. He’ll be Chief of Police for Rockland County, very soon. A new man is coming in and he is firmly in my pocket.”

Veronica was relived that the immediate threat to her family and to Patrick was gone. But her concerns about the trailer park remained. She had to protect Jughead, particularly, and the other Serpents, too.

“If I accept that Lodge Industries will be continuing in its... diversified manner of operation, with both light and dark revenue streams, can we please reconsider some of our goals and take into account the unique community needs of the area?”

“Spoken like a Lodge.” Hiram smiled and poured a glass of whiskey. “Tell me what you have in mind.”

“There are forty-seven Serpents,” said Veronica. “I want to make sure that the apartments that are being demolished don’t affect them. If they do, offer them comparable or better apartments elsewhere in the Southside. The trailer park needs to remain as it is; the people there have no resources to move. Several Serpents, including FP and Jughead, live there. Whatever development you have in mind for that parcel of land, you need to either offer a substantial package for them to relocate or leave it the way it is.”

Hiram sipped his drink. “ _Mija_ , the development I have in mind for Crystal Lake requires the destruction of the trailer park. It’s an eyesore. No one will want to buy million-dollar homes in Crystal Lake with a view of rundown, claptrap trailers.”

“The Serpents deserve our loyalty, Daddy,” Veronica reminded him. “The Serpents do our dirty work; they are bringing in the money that we need to survive. It doesn’t make sense, if you need to utilize them to keep the dark side of our business working smoothly, to alienate them. Taking away their homes would be bad for morale, Daddy, and that is simply bad for business.”

Hiram nodded. “Good points, _mija_ , excellent points.” He tilted his head. “I will table the Crystal Lake hosing development for the time being. Let us reexamine the issue in due time, say after SoDale North has been completed?”

It wasn’t a complete victory; it was a two-year long delay in the destruction of the trailer park, though. That would hopefully be enough time for things to change, radically, in the Southside.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Veronica kissed her father’s cheek. She was about to walk out of the room when she paused. “Just one more thing. We didn’t have anything to do with the bombings, did we? With the high school, the Wyrm?”

Hiram shook his head. “Those acts were not done under my authority. Someone out there may be orchestrating the bombings, but I have no idea who it would be.”

Veronica looked at her father’s face, trying to determine if there was anything he was hiding from her. It was so hard to read him. “I’m glad that we weren’t involved.” The deaths of the teenagers at the high school were not something she wanted on her conscience.

“There are lines that I would never cross, princess.” He tilted his head and looked at her, his face serious. “I hope you know that. I am not a villain, just a sinner.”

****

The morning passed swiftly. There was a swirl of deliveries: flowers, food. In the afternoon, Veronica’s guests began to arrive, beginning with Melissa.

Melissa looked around, eyes wide. “Wow, Veronica. This apartment is amazing.”

Veronica smiled. “Thank you. My mother has impeccable taste and she enjoys decorating. I can’t really take the credit for that.”

“I appreciate you inviting me here today.” Melissa looked uncomfortable. “You know, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I was a little bitchy with you last night at dinner. I mean obviously, Veronica, your family is very wealthy. But using that as a reason to attack you wasn’t right.”

Veronica shrugged. “I don’t blame you, Melissa. After all, you don’t know me and I can’t blame you for making a snap judgment about who I am. But I hope that as you get to know me better, you’ll see what kind of person I’m trying to be.”

“I trust Sweet Pea’s judgment and the fact that he cares about you so much, it speaks well of you,” Melissa assured her. “He doesn’t open up to just anyone, you know? He’s always been really closed off and his friends, we understand why. He’s been through a lot. We just want him to be happy.”

“So do I.” Veronica smiled. “Now, why don’t I show you were you can hang up your dress?”

Betty and Toni arrived soon after and all four girls gathered in the dining room, chatting animatedly as they ate hors d’oeuvres. They sipped on virgin cocktails that Veronica’s father was whipping up at their bar.

Later in the afternoon, the girls were getting glammed up for the dance in the living room. The technicians from the salon had arrived. One of them was styling Toni’s hair; Betty was paging through a magazine as her pedicure dried.

Veronica was getting her nails painted when her cell phone rang. She answered the call, stabbing at the phone with one thumb. It was Sweet Pea. “Hello, my darling Patrick,” she answered. “You are on speaker, so behave yourself.”

He laughed, the sound low and sexy. “Hello, my lovely Veronica.”

“I am really looking forward to seeing you tonight.”

“Me too, doll.”

“Ask her!” hissed a loud voice in the background on Sweet Pea’s line. Veronica stifled a giggle; Mrs. Flannery was obviously listening in.

“My grandmother has informed me that I need to know what color your dress is,” he explained.

“Oh!” Veronica thought about her borrowed dress. “Well, it’s green.”

“It’s green, Gram.” Intense whispering followed this pronouncement. “Light or medium or dark green?” Sweet Pea asked. “Apparently, this is a crucial question.”

“It’s dark green,” Veronica clarified with a laugh. “Why do you need to know my dress color?”

“For your corsage. My grandmother is insisting that you need a wrist corsage that will complement your dress.”

“She does!” Mrs. Flannery piped in.

“It’s just a mixer,” Veronica protested. “You don’t need to bring me flowers.”

“Gram is adamant that a gentleman brings his lady flowers. So, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Well, then I will be delighted with whatever you bring.” Veronica had a thought. “Do you need a boutonniere?”

“I’m wearing my Serpent jacket, not a suit jacket.” Patrick paused. “Unless you would like me to not wear it?”

“No, please wear it,” she answered quickly. “I like the way you look in it.”

“Pictures!” Mrs. Flannery said in a loud whisper.

“Oh, right. If I don’t get your parents to take a picture of the two of us tonight, I might as well never come home again,” Patrick said with a laugh.

“I guarantee you that my parents will be taking pictures,” Veronica assured him. “And Betty’s mom is coming over to take photos, too.”

“God help us all,” Betty muttered.

“No one is coming to take photos of me,” Toni teased. “No one cares about saving _my_ precious high school memories!”

Melissa smacked her. “Stop.”

“I’m an orphan and no one wants to take my fucking picture!” Toni protested, dramatically tossing her hair.

“What is Toni whining about?” asked Sweet Pea.

“Don’t worry, we’re bonding,” Veronica replied. “See you at six. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replied. “See you then.”

Veronica hung up the phone. Betty was staring at her. So were Toni and Melissa. “What?”

“You just dropped the L bomb on Sweet Pea,” said Melissa. “We all heard it.”

“What?”

“You told Patrick that you love him!” Betty smiled hugely. “You. Love. Him!”

“Wait, no, hold up.” Veronica held up a hand. “No. No. No. No. No.”

“You said it, out loud. With your face.” Toni held up her hand and mimed talking.

Veronica was astonished. Confessions in the dark were one thing. She hadn’t meant to share that with her friends quite yet. “I did?”

“Yep.” Betty was absolutely simmering with excitement. “You’re in love!” She squealed and spun around. “This is so great!”

Melissa laughed. “Well, you’re done for now, Veronica. Sweets is in it for the long haul, believe me.”

“God, that is so true.” Toni frowned. “Now everyone’s in love except me. Doesn’t anyone just fuck anymore? What’s with all these stupid feelings?”

“Betty, stop dancing around,” Veronica said sharply. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“But this is so great!” Betty was jubilant. She hugged Veronica. “My friend is in loooove! This is so greaaattt!” She sang and spun in a circle, her skirt swirling in a circle. “Yayyyyy!”

“Cool your jets, ponytail. My God.” Toni turned to Veronica, her eyebrows raised. “How can you handle this much perkiness?”

“You will grow to love her, I swear.” Veronica smiled.

****

The boys were supposed to arrive in less than fifteen minutes. Veronica looked in the mirror in her room, critically inspecting her appearance. She looked radiant in her borrowed dress and last year’s Louboutins. She was in love, truly in love, and Veronica was certain that there was happiness in her face that had never been there before.

Her mother knocked on her door. “You look very beautiful. But I think I have the finishing touch that your dress needs, _mija_.” Hermione took her hand and led her into her bedroom. She opened a black velvet box and pulled out a wide golden collar decorated with rubies. It seemed very familiar to Veronica.

“That is beautiful, Mom, but that is way too glamorous for a school dance,” Veronica protested.

“Nonsense,” Hermione said briskly. “It will add the perfect touch.”

Hermione fastened the necklace around Veronica’s neck. It was heavy and uncomfortable.

“This belonged to my mother,” Hermione told her. “I used to wear it quite often when you were small, before your father began buying me my own important jewelry.

Veronica felt that the collar was too tight on her throat; it made her feel like she couldn’t catch her breath.

“You are playing a very dangerous game with your father,” Hermione said quietly. “Your father loves you with all his heart. But his reputation and our family honor must always come first. Do you understand that?”

“I do.”

“You cannot afford to challenge your father’s authority. In this house, he is the king. This is not a democracy, Veronica. Your father has the final say in all matters. He is the man of this house. You need to know your place.”

Veronica swallowed hard. “And if I can’t accept my place? If I feel that I have no choice but to defy him?”

“Then you will have made yourself an enemy of this family and that is a very dangerous thing to be.” Hermione cupped Veronica’s face in her hands. She kissed one cheek, then the other. “You are my only child. The light of my life.”

“I love you too, _Mami.”_

Her mother’s grip on her face tightened and her eyes bored into hers. “Don’t make me choose between the two loves of my life, _mija_. If you truly love me, you will not put me in that position.”

Veronica’s eyes filled with tears. “I just want to be a good person. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

Hermione’s eyes were filled with unshed tears. “I know you are. Just be careful.” Her mother wrapped her into a hard hug. “Be careful.”

The doorbell rang and they broke apart. Hermione dabbed at her eye with a tissue. “Go get the door, darling.”

When Veronica walked out, Hiram had already opened the door. Toni’s date was the first to arrive. He wore a truly stunning ensemble: a black velvet suit embroidered with silver threads, matched with a bright white shirt with an elaborate lace jabot and long lace cuffs that were longer than the cuffs of the jacket.

“Hey guys!” A warm grin lit up his face. He had very striking blue eyes and a great deal of shaggy blonde hair that fell over his shoulders in loose layers. “I’m Benji Huff. Nice to meet you.” He shook hands with everyone.

Veronica immediately liked Benji. He had an affable and easygoing charm.

Toni patted his shoulder. “You look really nice, Benji.”

He looked her appreciatively up and down. “My lady, you look positively divine.” He held out a plastic box. “I brought you a corsage. It’s a pink orchid. In the language of flowers, it stands for femininity, grace and joy.”

“Oh, so cute!” Betty clapped her hands.

Toni gave her a dark look. “Stop,” she mouthed and turned back to her date. “Thank you, Benji. That was very thoughtful.”

She held out her hand and Benji slid the corsage onto her wrist and kissed her hand. The corsage looked great on her.

Sweet Pea and Fangs arrived next. They both wore white shirts with black ties and their Serpent jackets. Veronica had never seen him look so good; not only was he dressed up, Sweet Pea looked relaxed and happy, smiling broadly.

“Mr. Lodge, this is my best friend, Francis Fogarty,” Sweet Pea made the introductions. “Fangs, this is Veronica’s father, Mr. Lodge.”

Hiram smiled. “So nice to meet a close friend of Patrick’s. Welcome to my home.”

Fangs shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Sweet Pea’s eyes lit up when he saw Veronica. “You look gorgeous.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I have your corsage. I hope you like it.” It was a large pink peony, set into a green velvet wristband.

Veronica gasped. “Oh, it is beautiful.”

He slipped it on her wrist. “Gram will be so happy that you like it.”

“I do,” Veronica reached up and cupped his cheek. “This is just perfect, Patrick. Thank you.”

Betty came over. “Oh, Sweet Pea. I love that corsage!” She reached out and touched the flower with her finger. She looked up at him with a smile. “Have I told you that I’m very happy that you’re with my friend? Because I’m very happy for you both.”

He laughed. “Thank you. We’re really happy too.” He put his arm around Veronica’s shoulders and hugged her close to him.

Hermione rushed over, phone in her hand. “You guys look so cute! Pictures! I need pictures!”

Veronica smiled widely as her mom took the photo.

Hermione laughed. “Oh, this is just precious. Patrick, your grandmother is going to love these photos.”

The doorbell rang and it was Alice Cooper and Jughead. They both looked really irritated. Jughead was wearing a suit, but he had a smear of grease across the front of his shirt.

“My bike broke down,” he said, his voice filled with annoyance, “but Betty’s mom saw me on the side of the road. So that was great.”

“Oh no!” Betty came over and patted his shoulder. “Just take it back to my house, Jug. I can get it fixed up.”

“I already arranged to have it brought to our home,” Alice said. “No need to worry. And I can drive you and your date to the dance, Betty.”

Jughead let out a deep sigh. “Yep.”

“Jughead and Betty can come with us,” Veronica offered. “There’s enough room in Sweet Pea’s car for everyone.”

“Great!” Jughead said immediately. “Perfect. Yes, Please.”

Alice looked at him with a look of disdain. “Her curfew is one o’clock, Jughead.”

“We will have her back home in time, Mrs. Cooper,” said Sweet Pea.

Alice shrugged. “Fine.”

“Alice, may I get you a glass of chardonnay?” Hiram offered.

Alice gave him a genuine smile. “Oh, yes, that would be lovely.” She followed him over to the bar and they began chatting with Hermione.

Jughead looked around at their group of friends. “Why do the girls all have flowers on?” He turned to Betty. “Was I supposed to bring you flowers?”

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “I don’t need flowers, Juggie.”

Jughead bit his lip. “Man, I really need to step up my game with this boyfriend thing.”

Betty rubbed Jughead’s shoulder and smiled at him. “I think you're a wonderful boyfriend, Jug.”

He leaned down and kissed her lips. “That’s all I care about.”

Veronica looked around. Her parents were preoccupied, chatting with Alice Cooper.It was a good moment to slip away.

In her room, Veronica pulled on her Serpent jacket. She added a lipstick to her clutch and a couple of condoms. She took one last glance at her reflection in the mirror and, satisfied with her appearance, left the room.

Veronica quickly went into her father’s study and found the folder where the deeds for Dieciocho were kept. As Jughead had told her, she found the deeds for Southside High and the trailer park. She folded each in half and slid them into one of the inside pockets of her Serpents jacket. After a quick Google search, she found the address for the building that had formerly held the Southside Community Food Bank, pulled that deed, and slipped it into her pocket with the others.

She’d made her choice now, for good or bad; it might not be enough to turn the tide and save the Southside. But at least she’d be able to prove that she wasn’t a villain. She refused to be the pawn that Jughead thought she was.

She wanted to believe that her father would keep his word and do the right thing. But as much as she wanted to believe that, insurance that she would be able to protect the Southside from the worst of her father’s plans was required. This would make sure of that.

Back in the living room, Alice was taking a picture of Jughead and Betty with her large, professional looking camera.

Betty had apparently been looking for her; she immediately waved Veronica over. “Mom, I want you to takes some with our whole group together.”

All four couples posed together as a group. Veronica smiled as Sweet Pea pulled her close to him, his arm looped around her waist.

Hiram smiled. “You all look wonderful. What a nice looking group of kids.”

Alice took quite a few photos, with Hermione helping to rearrange them into different poses. When Alice was done, Hiram turned to her. “Would you mind taking a family portrait for us?”

Alice nodded. “Of course not.”

Hiram turned to Veronica and extended his arm. She stepped forward and looped her arm through his. Her mother took her other arm and Veronica smiled at the camera.

“Beautiful, just beautiful.” Alice nodded and snapped a picture. “Very nice.”

Hermione smiled. “Patrick, please join us for a family portrait.”

“Mom!” Veronica said, embarrassed. “You don’t have to, Patrick.”

“Please, join us.” Hiram waved him over with one hand.

Sweet Pea raised one eyebrow but moved into the shot, standing behind Veronica.

Alice took a few more shots and Hiram took the camera, looking at the images. He smiled approvingly. “Perfect.”

Hermione looked over his shoulder and tapped the screen. “These are lovely, Alice. I need a large print of that one. It’s going right over the mantel.”

“It’s time for us to go,” said Veronica. Her parents were being embarrassingly weird. She didn’t want them to freak out Sweet Pea with their enthusiasm to include him in their family.

Everyone stood near the front door putting on their coats and preparing ready to leave.

Hermione patted Sweet Pea’s cheek affectionately. “Have fun and be safe. Get my daughter home by two.”

“I will, Mrs. Lodge.”

She smiled up at him. “Please, Patrick. Do call me Hermione.”

He shook his head. “My Gram would never forgive me if I did that.”

“Well, when we have brunch with her tomorrow, I’ll just have to convince her.”

Hiram kissed Veronica on the cheek. “I expect you home by two, princess.”

“I will be in time for curfew tonight, I promise.”

As they took the elevator down, Betty made sure that they all had the address of the restaurant where they were having dinner. At the lobby level, the group split into two. Toni and her date headed out the front door, with Fangs and Melissa behind.

The rest of them took the elevator down another level to the garage, where Sweet Pea had parked in her space.

Before they made it to the car, Veronica tugged on Jughead’s jacket to get his attention. “Jug, I need to give you something.” She pulled out the deeds from her jacket to show him. “You were right. About the Southside, about what my dad intends to do. I asked him to change his development plans and he promised me that he would, but I’m not sure I can trust him.”

Jughead took the deeds from her hands and looked at them. “You just...took these?”

“They are mine,” Veronica confirmed. “But all the properties are in some sort of receivership until my eighteenth birthday. But next week, once I’m of age, I can sign those deeds over to whomever I want to. If I need to protect the trailer park and the future of the Southside, I will sign these over to someone who can keep them out of my father’s hands.”

“Who?” asked Jughead.

“Your father. If there’s anyone with the power to bring the Southside together, it’s your father. He can leverage his relationship with Malachai and make it happen.”

“My dad works for your father, Veronica.” Jughead sighed. “You’re pitting the Serpents against Hiram Lodge? That’s just...nuts, Veronica.”

“The only way that I can gain some leverage against my father is by throwing in with FP and with Patrick,” Veronica argued. “My father needs both of them to keep the money coming in. He can’t risk losing one or the other.”

Jughead frowned. “What kind of leverage do you think Sweet Pea has over your dad?” He turned to Sweet Pea. “I mean, no offense, but really?”

“I can’t say.” Veronica’s eyes flitted to Sweet Pea’s and then back to her friend. “I’m sorry, Jug.”

Jughead lost his temper. “I am so fucking sick of secrets! No one is ever honest with me. There’s always all this bullshit going on under the surface and-”

“Sweet Pea makes the jingle jangle,” Betty interrupted. “Your father sells it to the Ghoulies, Jug. Hiram Lodge brokered the deal, put up the cash for the equipment, and controls the distribution.”

Sweet Pea turned to her, his face white. “How did you know that?”

“I am very good at finding out secrets,” Betty said quietly. “It runs in my family. And in this town, the more information you have, the better. That’s what FP wants me to do, for the Serpents: gain leverage. I’m pretty good at finding things out and I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

“The Serpents have never been involved with drugs!” Jughead said angrily. “That’s a Ghoulie thing! Or some blackmail thing that Penny got us roped into...”

Betty bit her lip and shook her head. “No. It is way beyond than that.”

“And you knew and you didn’t tell me?” Jughead was ready to explode and Veronica was really worried.

Betty shook her head. “Your dad asked me not to say anything, Jug. But I told him I wouldn’t keep anything that I found out from you and he agreed. If you ever asked me a direct question, Juggie, I intended to tell you.” She turned to Veronica. “I was trying to protect you, V, because I knew for sure that you had no idea your father was dealing drugs.”

“I didn’t,” Veronica admitted. “I was totally in the dark.”

“I thought it was best that you didn’t know,” said Betty. “I thought long and hard about it and I decided that it would hurt you too much.”

“Can we all, just right now, for the last fucking time, agree to stop lying to each other?” Jughead tugged his beanie off his head and ran his hands through his hair before setting it right again. “I mean, I am so tired of having the rug yanked out from under me over and over!”

“I promise to be as transparent as I possibly can,” said Veronica.

“So do I,” promised Betty.

“I really never know anything,” said Sweet Pea. “I mean, no one tells me shit. I'm just the muscle.”

The four of them burst into laughter and the tension that had grown between them was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, as always, to Jandy. This just wouldn't exist without her support. I'd still be whining and emoting with no word count in sight.
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	9. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Their group stood in a very long line of people, waiting to get into the gym at Riverdale High for the welcome dance. Posted at the entrance to the gym was a large sign:

NO WEAPONS

NO INAPPROPRIATE ATTIRE

NO TOBACCO, DRUGS OR ALCOHOL

NO LEWD DANCING

Underneath these rules someone had scrawled: NO FUN.

Sheriff Keller was guarding the entrance with a deputy and everyone entering the gym had to walk through a metal detector. There was a long line of people waiting.

“No weapons, no drugs, no alcohol.” Fangs sighed. “I’m going to need to head back to my car.”

“Check with everyone else, see if they’ve got stuff to get rid of,” Sweet Pea suggested. Fangs nodded and went off to talk to the rest of their friends.

“Oh shit.” Veronica was reminded that she was, in fact, carrying weapons. “I need to go back to the car, Patrick.”

“What you got in your pocket, baby, a flask?” He smiled at her.

“I’ve got a Luger and a Taser in my jacket,” Veronica explained with a raised eyebrow. "My mother insisted."

The smile slipped off his face. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I’ll, uh, tell you about it later.”

“Yeah, you bet your ass you will.”

Fangs came back with Melissa. “We’re just going to head to the car. We’ll be right back.”

“Melissa, can you take my jacket?” Veronica slipped out of it and handed it to her.

She raised one eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d be the one to worry about.”

“Appearances can be deceiving.”

The line of people took way too long. Toni and Benji chatted with them while they waited.

“Look, this just isn’t fair,” Toni complained to Sweet Pea. “I’ve been out here, dating loser after loser, for a long time.” She turned to her date. “No offense, Benji, you’re a sweetheart.”

“None taken,” he replied with a grin.

“But seriously, Sweets, you meet your perfect woman, pop your cherry, and get an ‘I love you’ in a week? I mean, fuck. That’s not fair. You’re so lucky!”

Veronica looked up at Sweet Pea, surprised. “Wait, what?” He’d been a virgin?

His entire face flushed red. “Can we please talk about this later?”

Toni looked astonished. “Wait, you didn’t tell her?” She looked over at Veronica. “He should have told you it was his first time!”

Sweet Pea was clearly mortified. His eyes darted towards Benji, who was listening to the conversation with unabashed interest.

“I won’t gossip about your personal business, man,” said Benji. “I’m not that kind of person.”

“You better not or I’ll rearrange your face,” Sweet Pea said, his voice low.

“Hey!” Toni poked Sweet Pea in the chest. “Be nice to my date, you dick! We’re not allowed to trash talk the Ghoulies, remember? You don’t want to break the truce over some macho bullshit.”

Sweet Pea looked really ticked off. Veronica put her arm around his waist and he looked down at her. “Everything is great. We’re going to have a really nice night.” She pulled his face down to hers and gave him a kiss. “I love you so much,” she whispered and she saw a smile flicker across his lips.

“I’m sorry I brought it up, Sweets,” Toni apologized. “Can we just forget the whole thing?”

Sweet Pea nodded. “I would really like that, Tone.”

Finally they moved through security, walking through the metal detector. Happily, none of them were flagged for anything and they all moved through. At last, they  entered the gym for the dance. The room looked beautiful and Veronica was gratified that the decorations she had helped select and put up looked so nice in the room. In honor of Southside, the room had been decorated with swags of red and black instead of the usual Riverdale blue and gold.

Near the punch table and a dessert buffet was a scattering of round tables. Veronica set down her clutch at a table with a reserved sign. Betty took off her Serpent jacket and slung it over her chair. The gold of her serpent necklace glistened in the twinkling lights overhead.

“You are looking wonderful.” Kevin walked over and kissed Betty on her cheek. “Love that necklace, babe.”

“Doesn’t she look great?” Jughead smiled.

“Betty always looks beautiful,” said Kevin. “Can I call the first dance?”

Betty smiled at him. “Of course, Kev.”

“I’m going to check on Fangs and Melissa,” said Sweet Pea. “They should have been back by now; I hope no one jumped them in the parking lot or some shit.”

“Is that likely?”

Sweet Pea shrugged. “These days, you never know. Better safe than sorry.” Sweet Pea kissed Veronica’s cheek. “I’ll be back in a flash, doll.”

As the dance began, Cheryl took the stage, a wide smile on her face. Her sweeping red gown was totally on brand for her. Dilton Doiley was standing directly behind her at the DJ table. Cheryl took the mic off the stand and greeted the crowd. “Hello, Bulldogs! Welcome students, old and new, to Riverdale High.”

The crowd cheered in response.

“I’m glad that you are all here tonight to mix and mingle. Principal Weatherbee has told me how much he would like all of us to get to know each other. To set aside differences between rich and poor, our preconceived notions and build bridges.”

There was a smattering of applause. Veronica and all of her friends joined in.

“But I think we all know that’s not going to happen,” Cheryl continued. “So, criminals and hoodlums and gangbangers, keep to yourselves. Leave the decent people, the Northsiders who actually care about our futures, alone. Stick to your own kind. Know your place.”

Principal Weatherbee stomped onto the stage and ripped the microphone out of Cheryl’s hand. “That’s quite enough, young lady. Get off the stage.”

Cheryl gave the principal a dirty look and flounced off the stage.

“I am a proud African-American man,” Principal Weatherbee said, his voice hard. “If you think I am going to stand up here and tell you to segregate yourselves based on how much money your family has or what color your skin is, you are out of your minds!”

Kevin leaned over and gleefully whispered in Veronica’s ear. “Pretty sure a seat just opened up for senior class president.”

Principal Weatherbee took a deep breath. “I believe it is possible to peacefully coexist. I encourage you to set aside the prejudices that you walked through these doors with and open your minds and hearts to each other. Attempt to look beyond your narrow worldview and try to understand what it feels like to walk in someone else’s shoes. Riverdale High is all of you, each and every one of you. Share your unique gifts with one another. Help us build a brighter Riverdale. Thank you. Enjoy the dance.”

Dilton Doiley leaned forward and spoke into the mic. “Let’s get this party started, Bulldogs! I’m taking requests, so feel free to come on up and let me know what you’d like to hear tonight.” He put his headphones on and music filled the room.

“Sorry, Kev. Change of plans. I’m going to dance with my girlfriend.” Jughead took Betty’s hand and led her out onto the dance floor.

“Way to stake your claim, Jug." Kevin turned to Veronica. “Looks like I'm short a partner. Join me for a dance?”

“With you? Always.”

They danced together, surrounded by other couples. Jughead and Betty were dancing, her head resting on his shoulder.

“Betty and Jughead are couple goals,” Kevin sighed. “Honestly, look how fucking sweet they are together.”

“They were made for each other,” Veronica agreed. “I truly believe that.”

“I still can’t get over Jughead Jones as a Southside Serpent, though.” Kevin smiled. “It’s probably funnier to me than it is to you, since I’ve known him since he was five. But I never marked him as having badass potential, you know?”

“I think getting in touch with his Southside roots has been good for him. He’s stronger now than he was before. I think he’s a better partner for Betty now than he would have been. This confidence that he has- he didn’t have before.”

The song ended and Kevin took Veronica’s elbow and led her off the floor. On the sidelines, they drank glasses of weak, crappy punch and watched the dance floor. Veronica looked around, searching for Sweet Pea. Betty and Jughead walked over and helped themselves to punch and Jughead grabbed a handful of cookies from a platter on the snack table.

Veronica felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Malachai, the leader of the Ghoulies. He was dressed in a showstopper of an outfit: a purple velvet suit with a sparkling white lace jabot that fell in wide frills from his neck to his waist. His pants were so tight that Veronica could see the outline of his bulge.

“Wow. That is quite a look,” said Veronica.

“Wow!” Kevin’s jaw dropped. “Holy _Purple Rain_.”

Malachai had accented his ensemble with a greased back hairstyle and the copious application of thick black eyeliner. Rather than looking absurd, he in fact looked very hot and he definitely knew it.

“I hope that you are tempted.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “After all, I dressed just to impress you.”

Veronica snorted. “Well, then, I’m sorry, but your effort has been in vain. I’m not interested.”

“Everyone is interested in me, my dear,” Malachai replied smoothly. “You just seem to need a bit more convincing than most. But that just makes you all the more...alluring.”

“You know, women don’t generally go for the heavy-handed approach,” said Kevin. “You should jot that down.”

Sweet Pea shouldered past the people behind Malachai, with Fangs and Melissa close behind.

“Well, Malachai, it’s been not... very fun. My date is here.”

“Hey babe.” Sweet Pea took her hand. “Are you ready to dance?”

“I am.” Veronica smiled up at him. “Please excuse us.”

Malachai raised one eyebrow. “Surely you jest, Miss Lodge. Are you truly keeping company with a mere servant when you could have a king instead?” He made a very dismissive hand gesture towards Sweet Pea.

Veronica wasn’t having it. “For one thing, that’s a really gross line, and for another, you already have a girlfriend, as Bambi has made abundantly clear. So despite the fact that you are a very big deal down on the Southside, I’m definitely not interested in being your side chick.”

Malachai frowned. “What an ugly expression, side chick. And an inaccurate one. Monogamy is an overrated social construct, my dear. Artists, poets, all truly passionate people cannot be expected to settle for a love shackled by limitations.”

“You really are king of the fuck bois, aren’t you?” Veronica asked incredulously.

Jughead sighed. “Leave it to Veronica to start a turf war on her first night out with the Serpents. You can’t talk to Malachai like that, V. The truce goes both ways. We are all obliged to treat each other with respect or face the consequences.”

“I’m not trying to start any trouble between the Ghoulies and the Serpents,” said Veronica. “All I want to do is have a nice time at the dance with my boyfriend.”

“And all I want to do,” Malachai said pleasantly, “is to make it clear that I have a lot more to offer than your current escort does.” He gave Sweet Pea an insolent look. “I’m sure that a woman of your sophistication and elegance won’t be entertained for long with the likes of him.”

Sweet Pea glared at Malachai and Veronica saw his hands ball into fists.

Jughead looked over at Malachai, his jaw set. “Malachai, we don’t want any trouble. Veronica is not interested and you need to drop it.”

Malachai laughed. “Calm down, young prince. We are just having a friendly chat.”

“With all due respect, Malachai, go fuck yourself,” Sweet Pea said pleasantly.

Malachai raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure you really want to challenge my authority? I don’t appreciate an underling like you speaking to me in such a way.”

“You want to rumble with me?” Sweet Pea smiled. He looked angry and dangerous and entirely unlike the gentle, sweet lover Veronica had spent the night with. ”Veronica is my girl and she’s under Serpent protection. If I tell FP exactly why I broke the truce, he’s going to back me up; it’s a matter of honor. So are you going to back off or am I going to make you bleed?”

As tensions reached their highest, Bambi came into view, carrying two cups of punch. She had spotted Veronica and was stomping towards them with murder on her face. It was really too bad that she was psychotic; she looked ethereally lovely in a peach-colored lace gown that hugged her curves before flaring out into a very wide, full skirt.

“Oh, fuck. Malachai, can you please call off your girl before she starts another scene with Veronica?” Sweet Pea moved in front of Veronica.

Veronica stepped around him. “If I need you to step in, Patrick, I’ll ask, okay?” she said in a low voice. “This is girl drama, not a gang fight. I can handle this.”

He frowned at her and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.

Bambi dramatically lifted one of the cups of punch. “I told you to stay away from my man!”

“So help me God, Bambi, I’m warning you right now,” Veronica snapped. “If you throw that glass of punch in my face, I’m going to shove my Louboutin heel up your ass so far you’re going to choke on it!”

“You’re all talk! You didn’t do jack shit in the cafeteria the other day,” Bambi sneered. “You just stood there like an idiot while your friends defended you. But what would you expect from a Lodge? Everyone knows that you pay other people to do your dirty work for you.”

Malachai put his hand on Bambi’s elbow. “Watch your tongue, beloved. You don’t want to make an enemy out of this one.”

Veronica was used to winning battles with her wits and her words. In this new Southside world, it was clear that wasn’t enough. “I am officially sick of your shit, Bambi. Meet me on the roof in fifteen minutes and let’s settle this once and for all. And not because I want your man; I have one of my own, thanks. I just really want to punch you in the face.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Malachai said smoothly. “Bambi has behaved with unprovoked rudeness. She will apologize and this ugliness will cease. There will be no rumble between the Serpents and the Ghoulish Order of the Undead tonight.” He turned towards his girlfriend, his jaw clenched. “You will make amends. Immediately.”

Bambi shook her head petulantly. “I won’t apologize to her. She’s a whore!”

Sweet Pea stepped forward. “That’s the last insult I’m willing to put up with, Malachai. I demand satisfaction, now, or I will bring this repeated disrespect to FP and ask for parley. I am done fucking around!”

“Escalating this matter to the leader of the Serpents will not be necessary.” Malachai turned to Bambi. “Apologize. Now.”

Bambi briefly closed her eyes, trembling. “No.”

“I’m not asking you again. You will make amends, now, or you will face very severe consequences.” Malachai’s voice reminded Veronica of her father’s. This was a man who was accustomed to being obeyed instantly and was completely unwilling to tolerate disrespect. It was easy to discount him on appearance alone, dressed in velvet and lace like the Romantic poets the Ghoulies adored. But he wasn’t just a pretty boy; he was the leader of a gang and he held a lot of power. “Don’t make me expel you from our ranks, girl, for your insubordination."

Bambi shook her head. “I won’t apologize.”

“Bambi,” Veronica said sharply. “This is stupid. I’m sure that being part of the Ghoulies is just as important to you as being a Serpent is to us. Don’t let a ridiculous misunderstanding lead to a decision you can’t take back.”

Bambi didn’t say a word. Instead she took one of the cups of punch and poured it over top of Malachai’s head. They all gasped as a trickle of red punch rolled over his perfectly coiffed hair and marred the shoulders of his jacket. She threw the empty cup at his feet, turned around, and stalked off.

Malachai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His hands were balled into fists.

Veronica could not leave well enough alone. She stepped forward and whispered in his ear. “This is really all your fault, Malachai. She’s desperately in love with you. If you weren’t jerking her around, she wouldn’t be acting like this. Either treat her right or let her go.”

He gave her an astonished look before he turned and swept through the crowd, going after Bambi.

A large crowd had gathered to see what was going to happen. When nothing else did, people seemed to drift away.

“Hey there, beautiful girl.” Sweet Pea took her hand in his. “Want to dance?”

Sweet Pea put his hand on Veronica’s back and they walked onto the dance floor. He put his arm around her waist and they moved together to the music.

“I told you that I didn’t need you to fight my battles for me,” said Veronica with a tilt of her head.

Sweet Pea looked down at her. “When I said that you were under my protection, what did you think that meant, doll? It means that I will literally guard you with my life.”

“I don’t think there was any chance Bambi was going to take me out,” Veronica said lightly.

“It’s not about that.” He reached out and stroked her hair. “It’s about honor, loyalty, dignity. You belong to me now. I won’t put up with that kind of disrespect, believe me. You think I’m going to stand around and watch while someone tries to start some shit with you? No.”

“That’s very alpha male of you, Patrick,” Veronica teased.

“Well, if you thought that you’d picked a guy who was going to let you call the shots all the time, you thought wrong,” Sweet Pea said, his voice quiet. “I would do anything for you, Veronica, but I won’t stand there and do nothing if someone threatens you. God help them if they try.”

Veronica looked up at him. “You know, my parents have a very traditional relationship. My dad makes all the decisions in our family. It’s not a democracy. It’s not a partnership. I don’t want to be made subservient to any man, not even if I love him. I want to be equal partners in my relationship.” Her voice was soft but serious. “My father, I used to think that he was being protective and nurturing with my mother and I thought it was very romantic. But I see how controlling he is and it’s not what I want.”

Sweet Pea tugged her closer to him. “A truly strong man doesn’t feel the need to put a woman in her place. Her place should be right next to his.” He looked down at her, devotion clear in his brown eyes. “I don’t want to control you, Veronica. I want to protect you because you’re the most important thing in the world to me. If anything happened to you...it would break me.”

The words shocked Veronica. The notion that such a strong, big guy could have his feelings for her break him was a terrible one. “Patrick.”

He shook his head. “It’s a dangerous time. These tensions between North and South, they’ve been building for a while. There’s a real war coming, doll, and you’ve chosen the Southside. You’re turning your back on your old world, your old life. You’ve put yourself at risk, being with me.”

“And I have no regrets, absolutely none. From the moment I met you, I felt drawn to you. Right from the beginning,” Veronica said. “I felt it, this connection we have, before I even admitted it to myself. If I have to choose a side, I will choose yours. I choose you, Patrick.”

He kissed her then, his mouth soft on hers. “I swear to God you’ll never regret it.”

Sweet Pea’s hand twined in her hair as he kissed her, his tongue moving in her mouth. His other hand slid down to just above her ass. His body pressed against hers, just as close as he possibly could.

He whispered in her ear. “I can’t wait to make love to you again. Being inside you was the most amazing feeling in the world.” He ran his hands up her back, his thumbs stroking her through her dress. “Making love to you was like...sparks running all through me. Everywhere.”

She wanted him, too. Sex with him had been so different. It wasn’t just the orgasms; she’d felt truly connected to him, felt peace with him that she’d never found anywhere else. She thought about what Toni had said: that he’d lost his virginity to her.

Veronica looked up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were a virgin before we slept together?”

He gave her a small smile. “I thought you’d be able to tell right away.”

“I had no idea,” Veronica said honestly. “You certainly seemed to know what you were doing.”

“I really wanted to make it good for you. So I may have asked for a little guidance from my best friends.” He kissed her forehead. “Fangs had a lot of romantic advice, how to make your girl feel appreciated, cared for, being a thoughtful partner, things like that. Toni was more, uh, specific? Like she drew me a damn diagram and told me exactly what girls really like, what gets them excited, where to put your fingers and tongue and all of that.” He flushed and Veronica thought it was adorable.

“Well, your friends gave you excellent guidance.” She’d have to buy Fangs and Toni a drink or three at the next poetry slam, that was for sure. “I had a really fantastic time with you last night. I know you know that, but I’m sure you won’t mind hearing it again out loud.”

“Well, you were pretty loud last night, babe.” Sweet Pea laughed, his teeth flashing white. “You were very vocal when we were together and, damn, I loved it. I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed that.”

“But I wish I’d known that it was your first time. I would have tried to make it more special for you.” Veronica’s own first time hadn’t been great; she would have been more romantic, more gentle with Sweet Pea if she’d known it was all brand new for him.

He shook his head. “It was perfect. Better than I ever imagined, believe me.”

The slow song ended and a fast number began. Veronica was surprised to find that Sweet Pea was a fantastic dancer. He had moves and he knew it, too. He smiled down at her, his hand on her hip.

“You look really surprised, doll.” He chuckled. “What did you think, I’d be out here shuffling my feet back and forth all night?”

It was fun, dancing with someone who seemed to really enjoy it. A crowd of friends joined them. Instead of being paired off as couples, they became a loose constellation of bodies in motion. Veronica laughed, enjoying the fun of just being young, happy, and in love.

Jarringly, the next song was instrumental. It was a violin-heavy, sweeping waltz. Along with most of the crowd, Veronica stopped, confused.

“It’s a Ghoulie thing,” Fangs explained as their group of friends drifted to the edges of the dance floor. “These fuckers wish they were still living in the Dark Ages or some shit.”

A crowd of Ghoulies, dressed in their lavish velvet and lace, had configured themselves into pairs on the dance floor, moving in perfect rhythm through the steps of the dance. Among them, Veronica noticed, were Bambi and Malachai. She looked up at him adoringly as he led her in the dance.

Veronica was chatting with Betty when a very good-looking Hispanic guy in burgundy velvet bowed in front of her. “Would you care to dance, my lady?”

“Thanks, no,” Veronica replied. “I’m good.”

He smiled at Betty. “I was actually asking your friend.”

“Oh!” Betty blushed. “Why sure, thank you.” Betty took his hand and she went out onto the dance floor with him.

Veronica glanced over at Jughead. He was glaring at the dance floor, his arms crossed. “It’s just a dance, Jug.”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Toni waltzed by with Benji, looking like she was having fun. She jerked her head at Veronica to join them.

Veronica took Sweet Pea’s hand. “Do you happen to know how to waltz?”

In answer, he smiled and swept her into his arms. He did, indeed, know how to waltz. With their bodies in position, Veronica laughed. He absolutely towered over her. “We must look ridiculous together. You’re a giant.”

He smiled down at her. “Who, me? Nah, I’m regular size. You’re just pocket size, baby doll. Even in those six-inch stilettos you like to wear.”

“I love my high heels,” Veronica protested. “They are one of my personal trademarks!”

“Do you ever just hang out in, like, jeans and a t-shirt?” asked Sweet Pea. “I’ve only ever seen you all dressed up. Makeup perfect.”

She smiled up at him. “Patrick, you’ve seen me completely naked and fresh out of the shower.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Best morning of my life, babe. But seriously, do you ever just hang out, like in a casual way? Like, just throw on sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt?”

Veronica shook her head. She didn’t even own a ratty old t-shirt. “Well, no. My family is pretty formal. Even when I was small, it was important to my mother that I look a certain way. I always wore dresses; pearls. Even when I was a little girl.”

He reached out and touched her necklace. “I noticed you always wear pearls, except for tonight.”

“It’s another one of those trademarks, like my heels. The Veronica Lodge look.” She frowned. “I’m rethinking that, you know. I don’t like how the money that has paid for all of these things has been earned. And taking sides against my father, it’s just a matter of time until I lose all of these trappings of luxury. No more town cars and designer shoes and South Sea pearls. It’s more than time, really, to let those things go.”

“I can’t imagine what it was like to grow up the way that you did,” said Sweet Pea. “You’ve seen how we live at home, Veronica. I mean, we come from two very different worlds. I wish that I could give you the kind of life that you’re used to, but I never will be able to do that.”

Veronica shook her head. “When Daddy went to prison, I thought that it had all come to an end. I’d made my peace with coming down in the world. But even here in Riverdale, in exile from my former life, I never really had to give up any of my luxuries. I’ve been as wrapped up in wealth and privilege as ever.”

“Do you think you could be happy, without all of that?”

“What I need to be happy, money can’t buy.” Veronica smiled at him. “Being in Riverdale, I’ve learned that. My friendship with Betty, that’s priceless. My friends, true friends, like Kev and Jughead. Above all that, you make me happy, Patrick. You make me feel so comfortable and safe and it’s so nice.”

“I feel that way with you, too.” He ran his hands over her shoulders. “I haven’t been happy for a very long time, but I am so happy with you. I’ve never felt this close to anyone before in my life. I feel like I could tell you anything.”

“You can,” Veronica promised him. “I would love knowing that you trust me that much.”

“We just found each other and I’m already so afraid of losing you. Even without this Southside war brewing, there are still obstacles, doll. I’m leaving for college in August. It’s going to be so hard to be away from you.” Sweet Pea kissed Veronica’s neck, his mouth soft and warm. “Leaving you, it is going to hurt. There’s no way around that. It’s already too late.”

“We’ll make it work.” Veronica wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his tattoo. “I promise that we will.”

“It is going to hurt like hell being so far away from you.”

“We’ll work it out,” Veronica said confidently. “That reminds me, I need to work on my driving with you. The drive from here to MIT is a little over three hours. So, ideally, we will see each other as much as we can. You can drive down; I can drive up. We’ll make it work.”

He raised one eyebrow. “You’ve already given this some thought, haven’t you?”

She nodded. “We have seven months together before you go,” said Veronica. “I don’t want to waste the time we have left worrying about being apart.”

_****_

Halfway through the dance, Veronica and her friends drifted to a dark corner of the gym, far enough away from the chaperones that Kevin was able to pass around a flask without fear of getting caught.

Benji had left Toni’s side briefly, but only to fetch more punch. He’d been by her side the entire dance.

“I can’t fuck this guy,” Toni said to Fangs. “He’s too sweet. He’s like a goddamn golden retriever.”

“He makes a nice change from the garbage humans you usually sleep with,” Fangs observed. “I mean, your taste in men really sucks.”

“I know!” said Toni. “That’s one of the many reasons I would prefer to date a girl.”

“Then don’t mess around with Benji, find a nice girl instead,” Betty suggested.

“Do you know a single lesbian in Riverdale?” asked Toni. “Because I’m pretty sure that I’ve dated all of them.”

“Midge Klump is bi,” said Betty. “But she’s dating Moose, who is supposedly straight.”

“Moose is definitely gay,” Kevin interjected.

“Do you know that firsthand?” asked Veronica curiously.

“No comment,” Kevin replied, taking a swig from the flask.

“I don’t really get the Moose and Midge relationship,” said Jughead. “I mean, not that I care. But I don’t see the appeal. Neither of them seem to be that into each other at all.”

“Moose is so deep in the closet he could probably find Narnia,” retorted Kevin. “I feel bad for him. It must be really hard not to show people who you are.”

“Your dad was cool with it, when you came out?” asked Toni.

“Yeah, absolutely,” said Kevin. “I mean, I was really worried, but he was fantastic. How about your parents?"

Toni licked her lips. “My uncle threw me out of the house.”

Kevin’s eyes widened. “What?”

Toni looked at her feet and shrugged. “Since my parents died, I’ve lived with my uncle. But when I told him I was bisexual, he threw me out. He was afraid that I would somehow give my two little cousins some gay cooties or corrupt them or something.”

Kevin set his jaw. “Well, fuck that guy.” He stepped forward and hugged Toni. “Fuck that guy, Toni. He’s an asshole.”

Toni laughed and patted his shoulder. “I’m fine. I don’t need a hug.”

“You deserve a hug.” Kevin let her go with a squeeze. “So, if your uncle kicked you out, where are you living?”

“Here and there,” Toni said vaguely. “It’s cool.”

Kevin turned to Betty, eyebrows raised. “Did you know about this?”

“She says she’s fine, Kev,” said Jughead.

Kevin pointed at Jughead. “Sure. Just like you said that everything was fine, when you were living under the stairs like Harry fucking Potter.”

“Let’s not make this about me,” said Jughead. “You know, not everyone wants people getting involved in their personal problems.”

“Toni has a place to stay with us if she wants one,” said Fangs. “And I know that Mrs. Flannery has offered that to her, too. We know our friend is in trouble, Kevin, and we’re trying to help her.”

“Can you all stop talking about me like I’m not here?” Veronica looked over at Toni. Her normally unflappable exterior showed strain.

“Toni is absolutely right,” said Veronica. “Let’s table this conversation for the time being, guys.”

Benji came back and handed a cup of punch to Toni. “If you want something a little more interesting as a refreshment, my darling, we can head up to the roof.”

She smiled at him. “What did you have in mind?”

“I work in one of the grow houses,” he said in a low voice. “I have a few joints of some really primo stuff in my pocket.”

“That sounds like a fantastic fucking idea.” Fangs clapped Benji on the back. “Let’s go.”

They all headed out of the gym and quietly headed to the back staircase. Within minutes, they were up on the roof. It was an unseasonably warm night, nearly sixty degrees outside.

Benji pulled a joint out of his pocket and a book of matches. “Toni, will you join me?”

“Absolutely.”

Benji lit the joint, inhaled deeply and passed it to Toni. She took a hit and passed it to Veronica, who followed suit. She tried to hand the joint to Jughead, but he shook his head.

“It’s a plant,” Toni said flatly. “It’s not addictive. Live a little, man. You need to lighten up.”

“You might like it, Jug,” Veronica added. “The worst thing that will happen is that you get the munchies.”

“Then how could we tell it was working?” said Sweet Pea. “Dude is always hungry."

Jughead laughed. “That’s true.”

“Just take one hit, Jug,” said Kevin. “It’s fun, really.”

“Having my friends try to peer pressure me into smoking marijuana is the most stereotypical thing that has ever happened to me,” snarked Jughead.

“Take a hit or pass it around,” said Toni. “You’re wasting good weed while you babble.”

“If I wind up a crackhead, this is all your fault.” Jughead put the joint to his mouth and inhaled. He held in the smoke for a few seconds and then exhaled in a cloud of smoke. “I kind of like that, actually.”

“I want to try it.” Betty took the joint and inhaled. She coughed a bit, blinked and gave it another try. “That tastes...smoky.”

Kevin took the joint from her. “I’m so proud, Betts. That’s my girl, trying new things!” He took another hit and passed it to Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea shook his head. “Nah, man. I’m good.”

Veronica took another hit and passed it back to Benji.

They all stood and looked up at the stars, enjoying the beautiful night.

“You know, this is the most fun I’ve ever had at school,” murmured Jughead.

“You’ve been hanging out with the wrong people,” Fangs commented.

Jughead laughed. “I guess so.”

Shortly after, they went back to the dance.

Veronica was dancing with Kevin when a large hand grabbed his shoulder.

“Can I cut in?” Veronica was shocked to see someone she hadn’t seen for months: Joaquin.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Kevin blanched as he looked up at his ex.

The Serpent had dressed up for the dance. He was wearing a red ruffled shirt and a pair of very tight fitting pants. His hair was slicked back and he was looking, Veronica thought, really fucking fine.

“Hey preppy.” Joaquin looked at Kevin affectionately. “Miss me?”

Kevin flushed with anger. “You think you can just show up here after all these months and I’ll just fall on my knees-“

Joaquin cupped Kevin’s face in his hands and kissed him. It was a serious, passionate kiss and Veronica watched the tension melt from Kevin’s body. He grabbed Joaquin’s head with one hand, deepening the kiss.

Veronica turned away from the reunited lovers, smiling. Good for Kev. He’d been alone for a long time and hopefully he and Joaquin could work out the problems caused by their long separation.

Veronica was headed back towards Sweet Pea when she felt a hand on her arm.

“Ronnie, I was hoping to have one last dance together.” Archie looked down at her, his cheeks flushed. He looked a little drunk and more than a little sad.

Veronica immediately moved her arm away. “I don’t think so. Excuse me.” She had no desire to be with Archie, in any way, ever again.

“Please, Ronnie.” Archie smiled at her, his eyes sad and pleading. “Just one last dance; that’s all I’m asking for.”

“You don’t deserve a dance with me, Archie. You have been such an unbelievable dick,” Veronica said, her voice harsh.

“I’m so sorry, Veronica, I swear,” Archie said sincerely. “Please. One last dance.”

The couples nearby were starting to notice something was going on. Several of them turned to watch whatever drama was about to unfold. Veronica had no desire in creating another public spectacle tonight. So when Archie opened his arms to her, she stepped into them.

Being so close to him, with his arms around her, felt so wrong now. She was reminded that she knew every inch of his body as his arms and legs brushed against hers. She could smell his scent; he was wearing the Tom Ford cologne she’s given him as a gift when they started dating. It was all so familiar and her heart ached. She’d cared so much for him and now she had no place in her life for him.

“I didn’t deserve you.” Archie’s voice was so quiet, barely a whisper. “I should have done everything I could to show you how much I cared, instead of just driving you away.”

“I was happy with you,” Veronica said, her voice quiet. “I really cared about you, Arch.”

His hands tightened on her waist. “And then I ruined it all.”

“Yes, you did.” There was no point denying it. Her feelings for him had been real and deep. But now there was only anger and pain where there had once been the potential for a lasting relationship.

“I would give anything in the world to have you back again.” Archie’s voice was filled with pain. “I still love you, so much. I just want to fix things. Can we please just go back to what we used to have?”

Veronica had wanted to love Archie; she truly had given it her all. She had tried so hard to make that commitment, that connection. Despite her best efforts, it hadn’t been enough. It wasn’t until she’d found Patrick that she understood why. “I know that you’ll find the right girl for you,” Veronica said quietly. “But I’m not that girl. I never was.”

Archie made a small, pained noise and something wet hit her shoulder: his tears. He was silently crying as they danced.

Veronica felt horrible. Archie had been the one to instigate their breakup, but she’d never wanted things to end this way. She had never wanted to hurt him.

“Archie, we should go somewhere more private.” Veronica didn’t want him to be embarrassed. His jock friends would never let him live this down and God help him if Cheryl saw him crying.

“No,” he said in a muffled voice. “I want my last dance with you. The song’s not over yet.”

And so Veronica stayed with him, feeling guilty and worried, as her shoulder was splashed with his tears. Their bodies swayed together as they danced. Veronica saw Betty watching them, her face serious. Behind her, leaning against the wall, was Sweet Pea. He watched her too and his face was carefully blank.

Minutes passed as they danced in perfect step. The slow ballad seemed to last forever. In a sea of couples, nuzzling each other and kissing, they existed in their own bubble of regret and misery.

As the song neared its end, Veronica waved one hand over Archie’s shoulder and beckoned to Sweet Pea. _Come here to me_ , she thought frantically. She saw Sweet Pea nod immediately and head towards her. Betty whispered something in Jughead’s ear.

On the last note of the song, two things happened nearly at once. First, Jughead threw his arm around Archie’s shoulder. “Need to talk to you, man.” Jughead quickly pulled him away, leading him through the darkness to the nearest exit.

Second, Sweet Pea took her hand and led her through the crowd towards the stage. Just as the next song, another slow one, began, he stopped moving and pulled her close.

Sweet Pea looked down at her, his eyes soft and warm. “I love you, doll, with all my heart.”

“I love you too, Patrick. So much, babe.”

He kissed her, his fingers twining in her hair. She loved his mouth on hers, his touch, and his strength. She’d never needed anyone the way she needed him. It was a shocking thought: she needed Patrick in her life. He’d become essential.

Sweet Pea broke their embrace, kissing her gently on the neck before straightening back up. “I didn’t like watching you dance with him.” His voice was deep and had a tone in it she couldn’t quite place.

“I don’t want anyone but you. You need to know that,” Veronica reassured him. She meant it; she wanted Patrick, and only Patrick, with his arms around her, dancing close in a darkened room.

“I’m not neurotic or jealous,” he clarified, with a quick grin. “You made your feelings for me very clear and I know I have nothing to worry about.”

“You don’t. You never will.”

He let out a deep sigh. “Archie, it’s not just that he’s your ex. I wouldn’t like him anyway, even if he wasn’t, because I think he’s an asshole. But the way he looks at you makes me want to punch out his teeth.”

“Looks at me how?” Veronica said curiously.

“Like you belong to him.”

“You know I don’t.”

“I know that.” He smiled, his teeth so white. “I know that better than anyone, now.”

Veronica laughed. “You’re all possessive now that you’ve tapped my ass, aren’t you? You think you’ve got me wrapped around your little finger after our one night of fantastic sex.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Fantastic sex?”

“Oh my God, yes, Patrick. Fantastic sex.” She laughed. Just thinking about it made her want him again. God, he was so incredibly hot.

His smile was incandescent. “You know, it was a while ago now. I’m not sure I remember anymore, how great it was.”

She slapped his arm. “How dare you insinuate that I am not a memorable lover!”

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I think you better take me off somewhere and refresh my memory.”

She looked up at him, startled. His eyes were hot and full of desire. “Oh, I see what you want.”

“Oh, I definitely want.” His hands slid down her back, tracing along the edge of her bodice.

“Then let’s go find somewhere a little more private.”

He immediately took her hand and led her out of the gym and down the hallway.

“You seem to have a location in mind,” said Veronica.

Sweet Pea pulled a key from his pocket. “I stole a master key from the custodian’s key ring and made a copy. It seemed like a useful thing to have.”

After a quick dash down several hallways, he unlocked the door to their chemistry lab. As soon as the door closed behind her scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to their usual lab table.

“Why do I get the idea that you have a sexual fantasy about fucking me on this table?”

He chuckled in her ear and licked her neck, making her gasp. “You and me on this table has definitely been getting a lot of play in my imagination.” Sweet Pea set her on the edge of their lab table. He slipped his hands up her skirt and discovered she wasn’t wearing any underwear. “Christ almighty. Are you actually trying to kill me?” he asked.

“I had a feeling that something like this was going to happen tonight.” She scraped her nails down the fabric over his thighs and he gasped. “I cannot wait to get my hands on that monster cock of yours again.”

He took in a deep breath. “You are seriously playing with fire, Veronica Lodge.”

She ran her nails along the inseam of his pants, cupping his bulge. “Go ahead and burn me.”

He kissed her, his tongue deeply delving her mouth. “You turn me on so much, Veronica.”

“You turn me on, too.” She unbuttoned his shirt and bit his chest, making him gasp.

“God, I like it when you do that.” He tugged his shirt out of his pants and finished unbuttoning it. “Please, Veronica.”

She licked and bit his chest, her hands running over his naked back. “I want to lick you like an ice cream cone.” She dragged her tongue across his neck, his tattoo, tasting him.

He sucked in his breath. “No, baby. I want to lick you.” He shoved up her skirt around her waist and bent down between her thighs.

Veronica came quickly on his tongue and then again, several minutes later. “I need you now,” She clutched his shoulders. Her legs were shaking; she wanted him so badly. “Please. Please.”

Sweet Pea unfastened his belt and pulled a condom from his pocket. He ripped the condom open with his teeth and rolled it on. “Hold on baby, just one second. ”

Veronica spread her thighs wide. “Please. I want you so much.”

He grabbed her hip with one hand and thrust inside her. It felt so good and she moaned. “Patrick.”

“You are so hot and so wet for me.” He thrust again. “Veronica.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her face against his chest. He was so big and filling her so deeply. She could feel her orgasm buzzing under her skin already. “Please more.”

He whimpered and his fingers clenched on her hips. “God, yes.”

He found a perfect rhythm and she was just sliding away, losing herself in sensation. She was so close, so close. “Patrick.” She opened her mouth against his chest, silently screaming with pleasure.

“Baby doll, look at me.”

She looked up at him. His jaw was clenched; he was so close too. The look of love, of adoration in his face was too intense. It was too much. She closed her eyes.

“Look at me. Look at me now, Veronica, please.” His voice cracked as he said her name.

She met his eyes and watched him lose control. It was beautiful, watching his shake and cry as he reached his orgasm. His bliss triggered hers and they held each other tightly as they shuddered with pleasure.

After they put their clothes to rights, Veronica grabbed Sweet Pea’s hands. “Patrick.”

He looked down at her. “Yeah, baby?”

Veronica knew why he had taken her away from the dance and brought her here. This relationship was too new for him to feel confident of her affections. She had to make him understand how much he meant to her. “You don’t need to worry about anyone else, not ever. I’m with you and you’re everything I ever wanted. I’ve never been in love before, Patrick, but you...you have my whole heart.”

He drew his thumb slowly down the side of her face, staring into her eyes. “And you have mine. Always, Veronica.”

Shortly after, they walked back into the dance. Veronica walked over to their table. Toni and Kevin were eating from a plate of cheese and crackers, talking quietly. Joaquin was drinking a cup of punch.

Toni looked up at them with a sly grin. “Hey, Sweets, you forgot to buckle your belt.”

Sweet Pea looked down. “Shit. Did I really?”

Toni laughed. “No. I’m just fucking with you. We all just noticed you were gone for...quite a while.”

“I didn’t know anyone was keeping track of us,” Sweet Pea replied.

“I was sent to bring you all to the boss,” said Joaquin. “FP wants to see you, all of you. Right now.”

******

The temporary headquarters for the Serpents was a large warehouse down by the river. When they arrived there, Sweet Pea parked in the parking lot next to the building. He opened the door after punching open an access code on a keypad.

They walked into the vast space. It was mostly empty. There were some long tables set up in the middle; a makeshift bar in one corner; a desk covered with papers.

No one else was there, at first. But then people started to arrive. Fangs and Melissa; Betty and Jughead; Joaquin and Tall Boy.

Serpents began filing through the doors, filling the empty space. Soon all of them were there, all forty-seven men and women who had stood on that hilltop with Veronica, watching as the Whyte Wyrm became nothing but cinders and ashes.

The room was completely quiet when FP walked into the room. He walked to the middle of the room and simply said: “Veronica Lodge.” He held his hand towards her and beckoned her to come with him.

She heard Sweet Pea take a deep intake of breath as she let go of his hand and walked away. Her heels echoed in the large empty space as she walked forward.

FP looked at her, his face serious. He addressed the crowd. “We all know there are three kinds of Serpents: those that run the gauntlet, those that do the dance, and those who are Serpent property. Veronica Lodge is Sweet Pea’s ‘property’; we are all clear on that. She didn’t earn her place here. She didn’t shed blood. She didn’t show her submission to Serpent authority. The jacket she has on her back isn’t a right that she earned; it’s a privilege that someone else earned. And I don’t think that’s right.”

Veronica heard footsteps behind her. She knew that Sweet Pea had walked up to stand behind her. He literally had her back, and she waited to see what FP would do next.

FP turned to look at her. “If not for you, we’d all be dead, Veronica. Me; my boy; and each and every one of us. You have earned the right to be a Serpent. You have proven your loyalty, your commitment, and you have earned a place here, in your own name.”

Sweet Pea slid the jacket off her shoulders and handed it to FP.

“I asked Patricia to start making this jacket for you the day the bomb went off,” FP said seriously. “Betty made sure it would fit you right.”

From the crowd, Betty walked forward, carrying a jacket. She handed it to FP and gave Veronica a smile. “I love you,” Betty mouthed, and Veronica’s heart was full of love for her friend, too.

FP handed her the jacket. It was brand new, with a patch just like Sweet Pea’s on the back. Not property, just a Serpent. She slid it on and it fit her perfectly.

“You’re a Serpent now and you need to live by the Serpent laws,” FP said seriously. “Sweet Pea, I want you to say them for her. Veronica, you listen and you learn them. I expect you to tell me all of them the next time I ask you, you got that?”

Veronica nodded. “I will.”

Patrick recited the laws of the Serpents and Veronica repeated each one after him.

A Serpent never shows cowardice.  
No Serpent stands alone.  
If a Serpent is killed or imprisoned, their family will be taken care of.  
A Serpent never sheds his skin.  
No Serpent is left for dead.  
A Serpent never betrays his own.  
In unity, there is strength.

“Do you promise to live your life by these laws and treat each Serpent as one of your own?” FP asked.

“I will.”

FP nodded. “Then you are officially a Serpent.” He clapped her on the shoulder and smiled. “Welcome to the family, kid.”

Veronica felt Sweet Pea brush a kiss on her cheek. “You did great,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m so proud of you.”

Betty folded her into a huge hug. “Congratulations, V. I’m so, so proud of you.” Her best friend was beaming.

“You knew about this and didn’t tell me?” Veronica couldn’t believe it. “After all that talk this afternoon about not keeping secrets?”

“Of course I knew about this.” Betty smiled. “This didn’t count. A surprise and a secret are two different things.”

Betty took Veronica’s hand and led her over to a table. A wizened old man with a white beard and a red bandana on his head was sitting with a tattoo machine. It was time for the last part of Serpent initiation, apparently.

“Oh man.” Veronica shuddered. “I really don’t like needles.”

“It’s not that bad and I’ll hold your hand the whole time. I suggest the inside of the wrist,” said Betty. “You can keep it covered up there if you want to, keep it private.”

Veronica looked over at Sweet Pea. He couldn’t have chosen a more prominent place for a tattoo; he didn’t hide his. “I think I’m going to choose something a bit less subtle, B.”

After a shot or two of whiskey, Veronica outstretched her left hand on the table. She gave her instructions to the tattoo artist. With Betty holding her right hand, and Sweet Pea gently holding down her arm, Veronica had a serpent tattooed across the back of her left hand.

There was no turning back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiss, hiss!
> 
> Getting close to the finish line now! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.


	10. Fell In Love With A Girl

The process of getting a tattoo had been more painful than Veronica had imagined. Only the fact that she was being watched by a roomful of Serpents kept her expression stoic. She refused to let the others see how much pain she was in. She was a Lodge; she could never show weakness in front of the world.

Sweet Pea whispered in her ear. “I am so proud of you, doll. You are a fucking badass, you know that?”

Despite the pain, Veronica smiled. “I’m sure you didn’t bat an eyelash when you had your neck done,” she teased.

The tattoo artist, Randy Dan, wiped away some blood from her hand. “Sweet Pea cried like a goddamn baby when he got his tat,” he said gruffly.

“Don’t go talking bullshit to my girl, man,” Sweet Pea said with a smile.

“We’re done,” Randy Dan announced. “That’s going to be a real beauty when it heals up, if I say so myself.”

FP walked up behind Randy Dan and looked over his shoulder at Veronica’s hand.

“You could have picked a less painful place to have that done,” FP commented. “Most of the chicks, they put their snake above their ass crack or under their tits somewhere.”

“I’m not like most chicks,” said Veronica.

“Yeah, I’m getting that distinct impression.“ FP laughed. “Well, that’s precisely what I wanted to talk to you about. I’d like a word with you as soon as you’re done.”

“She’s nearly finished, FP.” Randy Dan wrapped Veronica’s hand in clear plastic film, looping it around her thumb and between her fingers. The tattoo artist handed Veronica a small plastic bag. “Make sure you take care of that tat; it’s important to follow your aftercare instructions. You run into any problems, my card is in the bag.”

Veronica tucked the bag into the pocket of her jacket. “You did such a great job. I love it.” The tattoo, she thought, was beautiful; it has been delicately rendered in green and red inks and outlined in heavy black. She reached into her Birkin and pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill, handing it to the artist. “Thank you very much.”

Randy Dan gave her a wide grin. “My pleasure. Welcome to the Serpents, babe.” He got up, walked over to the nearest cooler and cracked open a beer.

Sweet Pea leaned over and kissed her forehead. “My girl’s tough as nails.”

Veronica nodded and gave him a quick kiss. “Damn straight and don’t you forget it, Patrick.” She slapped his ass and he grinned at her.

“Save it for the bedroom, you two,” FP said with a smirk. “Veronica, let’s take a walk.”

Sweet Pea laughed as Veronica walked away, following FP towards the front of the warehouse through the crowd of Serpents, who were enjoying an impromptu party in honor of her initiation. Many people stopped to pat her arm or her back and congratulate her. Veronica held her newly tattooed hand against her chest, trying to avoid jostling it.

Outside the warehouse, FP pulled Veronica’s Glock and purple plastic Taser from his jacket pockets. “I know that you’re a kick-ass gang member now,” he said with raised eyebrow, “but Serpents don’t go around heavily armed. There was a turf war with the Ghoulies back in the day and a lot of us got shot or killed. That was when the two gangs hammered out a truce and restricted the weapons in our rumbles to chains, blades and brass knuckles. No member of either gang is supposed to walk around the Southside armed with a gun, not ever.”

“I had no idea,” Veronica admitted. “I won’t do it again.” She didn’t want to cause a gang war through her own ignorance of Serpent etiquette.

“I wouldn’t have thought a little thing like you would walk around armed for bear anyway,” FP noted. ”It takes a lot to surprise me, but finding those weapons in your property jacket sure as hell did.”

“My mother insisted,” Veronica explained. “She wants me to carry weapons as protection. I think she’s scared something is going to happen to me. When she saw the Serpent jacket, she kind of... freaked out.”

FP frowned. “The Serpent jacket set her off?” He rubbed his chin and gave her a sharp look. “Do know about your mom’s sister Helen, what happened to her?”

Veronica nodded. “My mother told me that she was with the Serpents when she died.”

“That’s right. I was standing right next to Helen when she got shot.” FP bit his lip. “We were as close together as the two of us are now.” He gestured at the foot or so between them. “Helen was dead before any of us even knew what was happening. It was a drive-by shooting; my buddy Sam, he and Helen were dead, gone, in seconds. If she’d had a gun, it wouldn’t have changed anything. None of us had any time to react until it was over.” He shook his head. “It was awful. Two good friends, two loyal Serpents, gone in an instant.”

“Did you ever find out who did it?” asked Veronica.

FP nodded. “Alice and Helen, they were real close. Alice took it real hard when Helen died and wanted vengeance. Hell, all of us wanted to spill some Ghoulie blood to pay these fuckers back. So, Alice cooked up a plan.”

“Betty’s mom Alice?” Veronica confirmed.

FP nodded. “The one and only. Alice did some flirting around over in Ghoulie territory, started making time with their leader, Ezekiel. That did not go over with her boyfriend, Tall Boy. He broke things off with her, took her property jacket away, when he found out about what she was doing on the side. But Alice didn’t give a fuck and her little game paid off. The Ghoulie boss let it slip that he was the shooter, the guy who had killed Helen and Sam. Alice shot him three times at point-blank range."

“Betty’s mom tried to kill someone?” Veronica couldn’t believe it.

“Don’t fuck with Alice,” FP said with a small smile. “She might look like a soccer mom now but don’t be fooled; she’s pure Serpent underneath.”

“So what happened to Alice after she shot the guy?” Veronica was fascinated.

“Alice was arrested on an attempted murder charge. She was in juvie until the hearing but her daddy had the cash to get her a decent lawyer. She got off with probation and walked off scot-free.”

“What happened to the Ghoulie Alice shot?”

“Oh, Alice got him good.” FP grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Ezekiel got a bullet in his shoulder and two more in his lungs. He didn’t die, but Alice sure made him wish he had. You know who that guy was, that son of a bitch? Malachai’s daddy, Ezekiel. The bad blood between the Ghoulies and the Serpents was at an all-time high, then. That’s when Ezekiel and Cash, the old Serpent boss, worked out the truce. So, you see, I don’t need another Serpent girl causing more bloodshed down on the Southside. Things are fucked up enough down here already, these days.”

FP handed her the weapons and Veronica tucked them into her pockets.

“You can keep the Taser, that’s kind of a gray area,” said FP. “I can certainly make the argument to Malachai that it causes less damage than a switchblade. But the Glock has to go. Did Pea know you were carrying that gun?” FP asked with a frown.

“No, he just found out earlier tonight,” said Veronica. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”

“86 that gun, pronto,” said FP. “Get it done, tonight. That’s an order, Veronica.”

Veronica nodded. “I will get it done.”

FP turned and walked back towards the bar, slowly, and Veronica walked beside him. “So, Jughead gave me those deeds earlier tonight. You understand what it means, handing those deeds over to me? That’s the opening shot of a war, Veronica.”

“We’re already in a war,” Veronica replied. “I’m just trying to protect the people I love.” She didn’t think she really had a choice; taking the deeds had been the only way to ensure that her father would keep his word.

“The people you love?” FP raised an eyebrow. “You put Southsiders Jug and I, Pea and Fangs in front of your own blood, your own family?”

“My father is on the wrong side of this fight,” Veronica admitted. “I have to take a stand.”

“There’s no coming back from that if Hiram finds out. Your father, he’s not the forgiving type.” FP gave her a worried look, his brow furrowed.

“If all goes well he’ll never even have to know I took those deeds,” said Veronica.

“In Riverdale, things never go well,” FP pointed out. “So when they go sideways, just remember that we have your back. Serpents protect our own and you’re one of us, now.”

Veronica saw a flash of motion in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Sweet Pea, leaning against the outside of the building, watching them.

FP smiled. “No one asked you to join the conversation, Pea.”

Sweet Pea shrugged. “Just keeping an eye on my girl.”

FP chuckled. “You’re a good man, Patrick. I just gave Veronica a little assignment and I want it taken care of now, tonight. When you’re done with it, take her by your lab, show her your setup there.”

Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows. “I can show her the lab?”

“Take her out there,” FP confirmed. “This one, she knows how to keep a secret. Since the two of you are joined at the hip anyway, she might as well know everything.”

With that, FP turned on his heel and went back inside the warehouse.

“So what was that all about, babydoll?” Sweet Pea walked over and put his arm around her.

“He found the gun and the Taser in my old jacket,” Veronica explained. “He told me not to carry the gun, that it breaks the truce.”

Sweet Pea looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “You ever hear that expression, don’t bring a gun to a knife fight?”

“Yeah, I have,” said Veronica.

“It’s really good advice,” Sweet Pea said seriously. “So we should get rid of that piece as soon as possible. Any chance you can stash it back at home?”

“I think that would be best. I can put it in the safe in Daddy’s office,” said Veronica. “If he asks, I can explain why it’s there. I don’t want to upset my mom if I can help it.”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Let’s stash it in the trunk of my car for the moment.”

Veronica agreed and they walked over to Sweet Pea’s car in the parking lot. They hid the Glock in the inner compartment in the trunk that held the spare tire, pulled the interior carpet over it, and slammed the trunk closed.

“We should go back in, say our goodbyes,” Sweet Pea suggested.

So they did. Veronica received a lot of hearty hugs from big burly guys and tough looking women. But the longest, hardest hug, by far, was from Betty Cooper. Veronica hugged her back, just as hard.

“Who would have thought,” Betty said, her smile wide, “that the former Park Avenue princess would become a Southside Serpent?”

Veronica shook her head. “I definitely didn’t see it coming.”

Jughead patted Veronica’s shoulder. “I underestimated you, Veronica, and I’m sorry for that.” He bit his lip. “I’m not great at counting on people; I tend to assume the worst. But you really put it all on the line for us, bringing me those deeds. And you definitely saved all of us from being blown to bits.” Jughead gave Veronica a small smile. “I’m very glad that you came to Riverdale, V, because it’s a better place with you in it.”

Sweet Pea kissed the top of Veronica’s head. “Amen to that.”

****

Veronica was very surprised when she first saw the lab where Sweet Pea made the jingle jangle. She’d assumed it would be in another warehouse somewhere along the waterfront in the Southside. But it wasn’t even located in Riverdale at all.

Sweet Pea drove down a narrow dirt road, well rutted from age and use, past the town limits. They drove past empty fields, empty and dark, lit only by the narrow slice of a crescent moon.

Finally, Sweet Pea turned onto a gravel road and passed an abandoned house, the porch rotted out and the roof caved in. About a mile later, he came to a barn and parked the car.

“This is it?” Veronica was surprised. It didn’t look like much from the outside.

“This is where the magic happens, baby.” Sweet Pea got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, opening Veronica’s door. He helped her out and she followed him to the barn. Dried grass crunched under her feet; she was wearing the wrong shoes for this rural outing. She thought of her Louboutins covered in dirt and inwardly cringed.

Sweet Pea walked past the front doors of the barn and around the side to the entrance to a storm cellar. There was a padlock there and Sweet Pea took out a key from his pocket and opened it. When it was unlocked, he pulled open the doors, revealing a staircase.

Sweet Pea pointed his flashlight down the stairwell to illuminate the darkness and held out his hand to Veronica. She followed as he led her down a steep, long hallway. Eventually, they reached to a set of tall metal doors.

Sweet Pea flipped a hidden switch and a keypad appeared. It glowed green in the darkness. He punched in an access code and the door swung open.

He flipped the light switch as the door closed behind them. The transition from darkness to the brightness of the overhead lights made Veronica blink as her eyes adjusted. They were inside a coatroom with hooks on the wall and small open cubbies.

Sweet Pea handed Veronica a lab coat and goggles. She traded in her heels for little paper booties that made her laugh. She spun around for him, giggling. “This is a hot look. I could totally see this on a runway model during Paris Fashion Week for the spring collections."

“You’re so fucking ridiculous, Veronica.” Sweet Pea gave her an affectionate kiss. He decked himself out in similar protective gear and then the tour began.

Sweet Pea punched in another code and a door opened into a large, sterile-looking room. As they walked in, Sweet Pea grinned and spread his arms apart widely. “This is my playground, Veronica. Welcome to Candyland. Let me show you around.”

Sweet Pea had come up with a very efficient process for creating the jingle jangle. The huge space inside the barn was subdivided into smaller areas and Sweet Pea explained the function of each one. They walked through a giant storeroom filled with jugs and barrels of different chemicals that were used to create the jingle jangle. Then they went into the lab area where the drug was synthesized and lastly to a room with a large automated machine, which Sweet Pea explained measured the correct amount of jingle jangle and packaged it into individual straws.

“This is insane,” Veronica exclaimed when Sweet Pea was done. “This is like a little factory. I was thinking you had a couple of burners in an RV like freaking _Breaking Bad_. This is like the fucking lab in _CSI_.”

Sweet Pea chuckled and nodded. “I designed this entire set up and your father was the one who paid for it. Buying all this equipment didn’t come cheap.”

“Well, all our dirty money paid for a very nice clean lab,” Veronica quipped. This place was unreal; her father must have spent a huge pile of cash to bankroll this.

Sweet Pea rubbed her shoulder with his fingertips. “Doll, I know that you don’t approve that I make the jingle jangle. But it’s not the drug part of it that interests me; it’s the chemistry. Taking a bunch of random chemicals and creating something entirely new out of it is so much fun.” He looked over at her, his face glowing with enthusiasm. “I love that. It’s just the coolest thing in the world, working in a lab and seeing these changes happen, being in control of that.”

“Your nerdy enthusiasm is adorable.” Her boyfriend was the absolute cutest.

He raised one eyebrow. “Adorable, huh?”

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “You’re hot even in safety goggles.”

Sweet Pea took her hand and pulled her into a cinderblock room lit by flickering overhead lights. In one corner was a computer workstation attached to three large monitors. In front of the desk was large black leather wheeled chair, which had been patched repeatedly with duct tape. On the opposite side of the room sat a small table in front of a counter, which held a mini-fridge and a little microwave oven.

Sweet Pea took off his goggles and tossed them onto the counter; he quickly did the same with Veronica’s. He leaned over and pulled her into a deep, probing kiss.

Did giving her a lab tour turn on her boyfriend? Sweet Pea ground against her and she could feel the hardness of his erection. Apparently so.

He broke this kiss and unfastened the buttons of her lab coat. “You have too many clothes on,” he muttered under his breath.

Veronica kissed Sweet Pea’s neck as he reached behind her and unzipped her dress. He tugged at her waist and it fell to the floor in a puddle of green fabric.

“I’m going to fuck you in my lab,” Sweet Pea said unnecessarily. He licked the edge of her ear, making her shiver, and ran his tongue up the back of her neck. He cupped her breasts through her bra; her nipples were already hard.

“Do chemistry labs turn you on, babe?” What Sweet Pea was doing was certainly turning her on. His fingers ran down her back, tracing across her skin, making her shiver.

“It’s not the lab,” Sweet Pea whispered. “It’s you.” He unfastened the strapless bra that she wore, hook by hook, until it slid off her body and fell on top of her dress.

He ran his hands over her naked breasts. He played with her nipples, rubbing them in circles; he cupped her breasts in his hands, gently stroking them with his thumbs. He was so gentle, so slow, as if they had all the time in the world.

“I want you.” Veronica rubbed against him and he bent over and kissed her, his tongue flickering in her mouth. “Please, Patrick.”

Sweet Pea hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties and pulled them down her legs, tossing them aside.

“You’re so beautiful naked.” He licked along of her jaw, and then gently bit her lower lip. “I love the curves of your ass.” He slapped one of her cheeks lightly. “You have such long legs for such a short girl.”

He licked all the way down the front of her body, his tongue trailing along from her neck to her navel. One of his hands slipped between her legs and long, thick fingers slid inside her.

Veronica moaned. She was wet, aching for him. His fingers worked inside her slowly and languorously, building up a wonderful tension within her body.

“All I can think about is being inside you,” Sweet Pea whispered in her ear. “As soon as I’m done making love to you, I want to do it all over again. I can’t get enough of you, doll. I’m on fire for you all the time.”

He pressed her hand against his erection. Veronica curled her fingers, feeling the size, the hardness of him and moaned. “Fuck, Patrick.”

He looked down at her with serious eyes as he unfastened his belt. “I’m going to fuck you up against that wall. Right now.”

Veronica looked up at him with a grin. “Yes please!”

Sweet Pea unzipped his pants, withdrew a condom from his pocket and rolled it on. In one smooth motion, he lifted Veronica up, spread her thighs wide and thrust deeply into her body.

“Oh my God.” Veronica wrapped her legs around him and clung to his shoulders with her hands. “Holy shit, Patrick.”

“You get so wet for me,” he murmured. “You are so slippery for me.” He backed her up against the wall and, as promised, fucked her hard. He was biting his lip, his face flushed, with sweat glistening on his forehead.

“You turn me on so much.” Veronica’s nails gripped the shoulder of Sweet Pea’s lab coat. He hadn’t bothered taking off any of his clothes and she was completely naked.

“I’m going to fuck you until you scream for me,” he said, his voice raspy.

She wrapped her legs tighter, holding him closer. “Fuck me harder.”

He half laughed, half moaned. “Any harder I’m going to put you through the wall, babe.” But he increased the tempo and it was just what she needed.

“I’m going to come so hard.”

He groaned and closed his eyes, moving faster. “Veronica.”

He held her hips so tightly that it hurt. But it was good; he was so strong, taking her hard and deep. He bit his lip as he moved within her.

“I love how you fuck me,” Veronica said. Soon she was clenching around him as she came. “Patrick!”

“Love it when you squeeze my cock so tight. Jesus, Veronica,” he gasped, his voice strained.

She recovered from her orgasm but he was still pumping inside her, not quite there yet.

“God, I love watching you fall apart for me. Do it again.” Sweet Pea was staring at her face, his eyes so full of desire.

“Tell me how much you love me, Patrick.”

“More than anything in this world. My love; my lovely.” He threw back his head and moaned. “Please come for me again, please. I’m so close, so close.”

She rubbed her own clit in a few strokes as he thrust inside her and it was enough to push her over the edge again. They came together, Sweet Pea crying out with pleasure, Veronica burying her face in his chest.

Soon after, as they were leaving the lab arm-in-arm and laughing quietly, Veronica noticed something lying in the grass a short distance from the barn. “What the hell is that?” she asked.

Sweet Pea turned his flashlight towards the area she pointed out and they walked over to examine it. Less than a dozen steps from the jungle jangle lab was the Riverdale Bulldogs mascot costume, half-burned but still recognizable.

“Finding this all the way here isn’t good.” Sweet Pea shook his head. “This is not good at all.”

As he shone the light across the costume, Veronica saw another glint of something shining in the grass. She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. “It’s a skull necklace,” Veronica said, kneeling and picking it up. She turned to Sweet Pea. “Patrick, I think this belongs to Malachai. He was wearing one just like it the first time we met.”

“Fuck!” Sweet Pea swore. “Malachai, FP and I are the only ones who know about this place. If Malachai brought that mascot suit out here...”

“Then he must be the bomber,” Veronica said. “Malachai blew up Southside High and tried to take out all the Serpents at the Wyrm.” She swallowed hard. “FP was so worried that the truce would be broken and a gang war between the Serpents and Ghoulies would begin but...I think it already has.”

Sweet Pea looked grim as he placed a call. “FP, I found something out at the barn. We have a serious fucking problem.”

When Sweet Pea hung up, he opened the trunk and got out the Glock. He handed it to Veronica, his jaw set. “Fuck the truce, doll. I’ve dragged you into a goddamn turf war here. You need to protect yourself.”

****

Just barely, Sweet Pea got Veronica home by her two o’clock curfew. His deep, sweet French kisses and wandering hands in the elevator nearly caused her be late, but it was two on the dot when Veronica’s mother opened the door to their apartment.

“You didn’t have to wait up, _Mami_.” Veronica was surprised to see her mother up at this hour.

“I sleep better knowing you’re home.” Hermione yawned, looking tired. “Good night, Patrick. We’ll see you at Mass in the morning.”

Sweet Pea gave Veronica one last parting smile and walked into the waiting elevator.

Inside the apartment, Veronica opened her clutch and took out her mother’s ruby and diamond choker. “Thanks for the loan. I got a lot of compliments on my necklace tonight.”

Hermione smiled but it quickly turned into a frown. “Veronica, what happened to your hand?” She reached for her daughter’s hand and gently touched the cling wrap that covered the new tattoo.

Pain shot through Veronica’s hand. “Damn it!” She pulled back her hand and winced. “I’m so sorry for cursing at you, _Mami_. That really hurt. It’s a tattoo.”

Hermione raised one eyebrow. “You got a Serpent tattoo?”

“Obviously, yes.” It was clearly visible through the clear wrap: a large green snake covered the back of her hand.

Hermione sighed. “I guess that was a foregone conclusion, with the company you are keeping right now. But why did you choose to put it on your hand, _mija_? Why not somewhere a little more discreet?”

“It’s meant to be an outward symbol of community,” Veronica elaborated. “Hiding it defeats the purpose of getting it in the first place.”

“There’s a certain beauty in subtlety, too, Veronica.” Hermione kissed her daughter’s forehead. “You’ll learn that in time.”

Veronica got ready for bed, removing what was left of her makeup after her very busy evening. Her Glock sat on her dresser, reminding her of the night’s unpleasant revelations. That reminded her of something important.

She rifled through her closet until she found the thigh holster she had worn in Manhattan at the height of the death threats and danger. She tried on the holster, inserted the gun and looked in the mirror. It fit like a glove and would be concealed by all but her shortest skirts. With a sigh, she took it off, put it back on the dresser, slipped into her satin pajamas and turned off the light.

Her lips were swollen and sore from all the hard kisses and she was sore between her legs, too. Sweet Pea was so intense; he expressed his feelings for her so openly, showing her how much she meant to him in so many ways. His love made her feel so warm inside all of the time.

Veronica wanted to be happy, but things were so confusing. Jughead had warned her that being with the Serpents meant putting herself in danger. He’d been right but she wasn’t just afraid for herself. If the Ghoulies really were waging war on the Serpents, nearly everyone she loved was at serious risk.

****

In the morning, Veronica’s hand hurt like hell. She’d been pretty pumped up on adrenaline the night before, when the tattoo had been inked. As instructed, she unwrapped it and washed it with mild soap and water. The tattoo had crusted over a bit with scabs and looked kind of gross.

She took a picture of her hand and sent it to Betty.

_Is a healing tattoo supposed to look like this or did I give myself leprosy?_

Veronica was brushing her teeth when Betty’s reply came in a few minutes later. _  
_

_Randy Dan gave you a little care kit and some aftercare instructions last night. You put it in your coat._

Veronica checked the pocket of her Serpent jacket. Sure enough, there was a small Ziploc bag and a sheet of paper.

_What would I do without you, B?  
_

_The world will never know,_ Betty replied. _  
_

A few minutes later, there was a knock on Veronica’s bedroom door. It was her father, looking sharp in a navy blue suit and crimson tie.

“You’re looking very handsome, Daddy.”

“Thank you, princess. We should leave for Mass in fifteen minutes. You don’t look ready to go, however.”

Veronica looked down at her pajamas. “Not quite. I guess I had better hurry up.”

He looked past her and frowned. “ _Mija_ , why is there a handgun on your dresser?”

“ _Mami_ thought it would be best that I carried a gun, considering the volatility on the Southside.”

Hiram nodded. “Very prudent. But in the meantime, please leave it in the gun safe in my study unless you are wearing it. You know better than that; gun safety is important.” He patted his suit jacket. “No need for you to wear your sidearm to Mass. I’ll make sure you and your mother are well protected.”

“You are bringing a gun to church?” Veronica was appalled.

“I’m always carrying,” answered Hiram. “The world is a very uncertain place; I like to be prepared. Now, please give me your Glock and I will secure it properly while we are out of the house.”

Veronica handed over the gun to her father and shut the bedroom door. She only had time for a very abbreviated beauty routine, just a touch of powder, some mascara and a touch of lip-gloss. She chose a pretty but simple dress navy blue dress with leather pumps to match and a single strand of pearls.

When she came out of her room, her parents were waiting by the front door. Her mother had chosen a navy suit to wear; the entire family was dressed to complement each other today.

“Before we go, I have a little something for you.” Hiram pulled out a small box wrapped in gold from his jacket pocket. “I’d intended to give it to you for your birthday, but I believe that now is the right moment.”

Veronica opened the box to reveal a Miraculous Medal, made of silver, with the Virgin Mary’s image etched into the center medallion. Small, fiery round diamonds surrounded the medal. “Oh, this is so beautiful, Daddy.” It was truly beautiful and Veronica loved it.

Her father unfastened her pearl necklace and set it on the console table next to the door. “I’m very happy that you’ve selected Patrick as your companion. He’s a very good man and a strong man, who I trust will protect you from harm.” He looped the long silver chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. “But I also want the Blessed Mother to watch over you.”

Veronica’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Daddy. That is so sweet.”

He kissed her cheek. “May you be granted the divine protection of our Blessed Mother, _mija_.”

****

With plenty of time to spare, the Lodges walked down the broad flagstone pathway toward St. Bernadette’s. The church had a picturesque exterior, faced with warm golden brick, with windows and doorways curved in the Gothic Style and outlined in white. The building was topped with a bell tower with a tall white steeple.

When they walked into the vestibule it was quite crowded. The tall double doors that led into the nave were not yet open. Several people greeted Hermione with a hug or a kiss on the cheek. Veronica was reminded that this was the church her mother had grown up in; it must be full of familiar faces for her. Veronica herself had only been to Saint Bernadette’s a handful of times since their move to Riverdale. She was introduced to several people, all of them happy to meet Hermione’s daughter.

“Veronica.” She turned to see Sweet Pea, wearing a dark suit and a striped blue tie. He kissed her cheek and extended a hand to Hiram. “Mr. Lodge, Mrs. Lodge. My grandmother would like to invite you to sit with us during Mass.”

Hermione smiled at Sweet Pea and kissed his cheek. “Of course we’ll join you, Patrick.”

“My aunt Shannon is here with us,” Sweet Pea explained. “She came in for a surprise visit. Gram said that you’d be excited to see her.”

Hermione clapped her hands together. “Shan is here? Where is she?” Her face was beaming; Veronica smiled to see her mother so excited. She looked around in the crowd, squealed “There she is! I see her!” and hurried away.

“Daddy, I have never seen Mom so excited about something that didn’t come in a bright orange Hermès box.”

Hiram chuckled. “Well, your mother and Patrick’s Aunt Shannon are lifelong friends. They used to be very close before Shannon moved to the West Coast, although they stay in touch.”

“I don’t remember meeting her when I was little,” said Veronica.

“Usually Shannon and your mother would meet up in Manhattan for lunch dates, a bit of shopping,” Hiram explained. “We didn’t travel in the same social circles.” That wasn’t surprising; the Lodges had been part of high society before her father’s dramatic fall from grace.

Hermione returned, arm-in-arm with a tall woman with delicate features and long, curly red hair. She extended her hand towards Veronica. “Hello, Veronica! I’m Patrick’s Aunt Shannon.” Shannon smiled at her, her blue eyes bright.

Veronica shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Shannon patted Veronica’s arm. “Do you know you are the spitting image of your Aunt Helen? My goodness, I would have known you anywhere.”

“I think that Veronica looks more like my side of the family than her mother’s,” Hiram interjected. “She has the Lodge looks.”

Shannon gave Hiram an icy glare. “Don’t you mean Lopez? I remember back before your father decided that Lodge would fit in a little better on the Northside than your real last name. When I met you, you were just little Ricky Lopez.”

Hermione sighed. “Do not start, you two. We’re about to go into Mass.”

Veronica’s dad and Sweet Pea’s aunt clearly hated each other. Veronica was intrigued; not many people were willing to go toe-to-toe with her father. She was sure there was a juicy story there and she wanted to hear it.

“Mother said the two of you were cute as a button together and she wasn’t wrong,” said Shannon. She turned to Hermione. “Aren’t they just so sweet together?”

Hermione smiled. “Oh, we approve very much of your nephew, Shan.”

Mrs. Flannery walked over to them. She was wearing a powder blue suit with a large gold brooch on her lapel. “Good, you girls found each other. It’s time to head into the service.”

Two ushers had opened the doors to the nave and the waiting parishioners moved into a line to go in. They joined the line of people and soon walked through the doors into the main sanctuary. Veronica took a program from an usher and passed by a large white marble baptismal font.

Mrs. Flannery was in the lead and they all followed her. “Walk more quickly, everyone, I want to be sure I sit in my favorite pew.” She walked surprisingly quickly up the aisle towards the front of the nave.

Sweet Pea laughed. “Gram likes to sit in the front.”

They followed Mrs. Flannery to the front pew near the large, ornate altar. Sweet Pea’s grandmother genuflected towards the large wooden crucifix above the altar and slid into the pew. Patrick and Veronica followed suit. Before they took their seats, they knelt in prayer for a brief moment.

It felt so right, being here in church with Sweet Pea kneeling next to her. Veronica should be uncomfortable; after all, the two of them weren’t exactly living up to the Church’s idea of exemplary behavior. The things they were doing together were supposed to wait until marriage.

She wanted to marry Patrick, Veronica realized. She wanted to be by his side always. Forever. It was an inspiring, exhilarating thought. She sent up a fervent prayer, thanking God for bringing him into her life and asking for divine protection to keep him safe.

When her prayers were complete, Veronica took her seat in the pew and pulled out the missal from under her seat. She looked over and saw Sweet Pea staring at her.

He had such long, long lashes and such beautiful dark brown eyes. But it wasn’t his beauty that she was struck by in that moment; rather, it was the intensity of his gaze that held her attention. He stared at Veronica as if she was the only thing in the world worth looking at.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He smiled. “I’ll tell you later.”

Mrs. Flannery clucked her tongue and stood up. “The two of you won’t pay any attention to the service if you’re next to each other. Patrick, switch seats.” She sat next to Veronica and tucked her pocketbook under the pew. “It’s not your fault, Veronica dear. Young men this age have a very difficult time focusing on spiritual matters.”

Hermione finished her prayers and sat next to Veronica on the pew. “I hate sitting in the front row,” she complained. “There’s no kneeler and it’s so hard on my knees.”

“Mortification is good for the soul,” said Mrs. Flannery sharply. “Give your pain up to our Lord.”

Hermione sighed deeply. Veronica patted her mother on the knee and the service began.

 _****  
_ After Mass ended, the Lodges and the Flannerys split up, with the plan to regroup for brunch at the Pembrooke. Shannon and Mrs. Flannery decided to ride with the Lodges in their car.

Veronica and Sweet Pea were left alone together. They walked through the cemetery behind the church, headed for the parking lot and Sweet Pea’s car.

“So I spoke with FP again this morning,” said Sweet Pea. “There are six security cameras that show the exterior of the barn. He and Tall Boy are reviewing the footage now, hours and hours of it. Before FP calls a meeting with Malachai to confront him, he wants hard evidence to back up his accusation.”

“FP didn’t think the necklace was evidence enough?”

Sweet Pea shook his head. “FP doesn’t think so. He’s not convinced that Malachai really is the bomber. For one thing, the kids that died at Southside High, they were all Ghoulies. The school security guard, he was well liked in the Southside. FP just doesn’t buy Malachai as the bomber.”

“So FP thinks the bomber planted evidence to try to start trouble between the Ghoulies and The Serpents?”

“Right.” Sweet Pea nodded. “And the problem with that, the really serious one, is that only a handful of people were supposed to know about the barn’s location. But apparently that wasn’t as close a secret as FP thought; it turns out plenty of Serpents knew about the barn. And if Serpents who weren’t supposed to be in the loop had got wind of it, that means that pretty much any Serpent or Ghoulie could be one of the suspects.”

“But the bomber targeted the Serpent’s bar,” Veronica argued. “Wouldn’t that point more towards a Ghoulie than a Serpent?”

Sweet Pea sighed deeply. “Honestly, this situation is a complete clusterfuck. FP is rattled and let me tell you, the boss does not rattle easily. He wants me out at the barn as soon as I wrap things up this morning, to see if I can find any other evidence that the bomber may have left behind.”

“I guess you can’t really call in an anonymous tip to the police when the jingle jangle lab is right inside the barn?” said Veronica.

Sweet Pea laughed. “Ah, no. That would be a very bad idea.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, doll. We’re going to find this bomber and take care of him. This is the second time he’s encroached on Serpent territory. Believe me, there won’t be a third time.”

They reached the car. Patrick opened the passenger door for Veronica. She gave him a peck on the lips and slid inside.

Sweet Pea turned on the ignition and steered through the parking lot to the exit.

“So, what were you thinking about earlier? You said you’d tell me later.”

Sweet Pea blushed.

“Patrick, you’re blushing!” Veronica was delighted. “Were you thinking immoral thoughts about me?”

“Well, most of the time,” Sweet Pea admitted with a grin. “But actually, this was something else.” He bit his lip. “Now you’ve made me too embarrassed to talk about it.”

“I’m sorry.” Veronica patted his thigh. “Please, tell me. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I don’t want to scare you away,” he said softly.

“You couldn’t,” she assured him.

“During Mass, when we were sitting there with our families, it just felt so perfect to me,” said Sweet Pea. “I want to have that feeling forever. I want us to be together, always, and have a family of our own, too, someday.” He gave her a sidelong look, gauging her reaction.

“I want that too,” said Veronica. She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “I want that future with you, too.”

He turned to her with a smile. “Really?”

“I was thinking the same thing during Mass,” said Veronica with a bashful smile. “I have no doubt, Patrick, that you’re the person I was meant to share my life with.”

“I wish I could marry you tomorrow,” said Patrick. “Making love to you is such a beautiful thing; I hate that it’s a sin. When we get married it’ll be a sacrament and that’s just how it should be.” He laughed. “I know that I shouldn’t be with you like this, not until we’re married. But I can’t wait another five years or so. Hell, I can barely wait until the end of the day, sometimes.”

Veronica laughed. “You know I’m just crazy about you too, Patrick. But I wouldn’t want to get married until after I graduate from college. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I want to have my degree first. My mother dropped out of school and married Dad. When things got really hard for us, she had no skills and no degree and wound up working as a waitress to pay the bills. I never want that to happen to me. I think it’s important for a woman to always know that she can stand on her own two feet if she has to.”

“You’re a very strong person, doll.” Patrick kissed the knuckles on her hand. “No one who’s ever spent any time with you would doubt that. That’s exactly why I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children.”

Veronica blinked. “You’ve thought about this quite a bit, have you?” The notion of being someone’s wife was scary; the notion of being someone’s mother downright terrifying.

Sweet Pea nodded. “I’ve got it all mapped out, doll.” She was certain that he meant it. “Like I told you before, I want a houseful of kids someday, just like my grandparents did.”

Veronica raised her eyebrows. “Babe, your grandparents had eight kids. No one has eight kids anymore unless they want to have their own reality show.”

“Not necessarily eight; maybe five kids,” Sweet Pea clarified. “You know, as many as you can fit in a minivan with one mom and one dad.” He gave her a heartbreaking grin.

Veronica laughed. “Good luck convincing a twenty-first-century woman to pop out five kids!”

He rubbed her thigh with his hand. “I think it would be wonderful, a house filled with happiness and love and faith. That’s how I grew up, Veronica, and I hope that I have that again with my own wife and children someday.”

They reached the Pembrooke and Sweet Pea turned the car into the underground parking area.

“I’m not sure I even want to have kids,” Veronica confessed. “I don’t think I have the patience to deal with sticky, crying tiny humans.” As an only child with no extended family, Veronica had zero experience dealing with kids.

Sweet Pea parked the car in Veronica’s space and turned off the ignition. He turned to her and looked her right in the eyes. “Really? The idea of a few little ones running around that we made together doesn’t sound even a little appealing to you?”

Veronica thought about it for a second. “Okay, we would make exceptionally beautiful children. I mean, we have some good genes. They’d be beautiful and smart, too.” She imagined a little boy with her smile and Sweet Pea’s eyes. Yeah, that made her heart melt a little at the thought of it.

“You’ve got nine years to get used to the idea,” said Sweet Pea. “We wouldn’t want to start a family after I get my Ph.D. I’ll be earning a really nice salary at that point. Our kids won’t want for anything.”

“So you have our entire future planned out already?” Veronica asked. It was both impressive and a bit scary.

“I’m a very goal-oriented person,” Sweet Pea explained. “And the minute that I saw you I started planning it all out. But all my plans involve making you happy, too. Our future plans will be what we both want and we’ll work towards them together.” He sounded so confident, so sure of himself, and Veronica found that so attractive.

Veronica leaned over and kissed his cheek. “So, let’s assume that yes, you win my heart and my hand and we have a very big, very Catholic wedding.” Veronica was surprised that she could easily visualize what their wedding would look like. A gorgeous lace gown; peonies everywhere; a teal dress for Betty to wear as her maid of honor. “How could we possibly juggle having a large family when both parents have busy careers?”

“We’ll pray a lot,” he said seriously.

She swatted his shoulder. “Patrick!"

“Prayers never hurt.” He laughed and put his arm across her shoulders. “I’ll always have your back and you’ll have mine. We’d put each other first and our kids would feel safe, knowing that. There’d be First Communions; dance recitals; little league games. All those things that make a family.”

“It sounds like a wonderful life, Patrick.” It would be very different from her own childhood: no vacations in Vail and St. Barths, no charity auctions and equestrian lessons. But that was good; that way of life didn’t appeal to her any longer.

He cupped her jaw in his hand and kissed her deeply. “That’s what we’re going to have, my love. A wonderful life.”

****

The brunch that Hermione had planned for the Flannerys was intended to impress. She had hired Just Desserts, Mrs. Flannery’s favorite bakery, to cater the meal. Their dining room table had been set with an elegant lace tablecloth and decorated with delicate orchids in ceramic pots. Floral china platters were filled with a large array of croissants and muffins, quiches and cinnamon buns. When Sweet Pea and Veronica walked in, their family members were already seated at the table, with uniformed catering staff filling coffee cups for them.

“Patrick!” Mrs. Flannery said with a smile. “The Lodges have gone all out to welcome us to their home.”

“Everything looks beautiful, Mrs. Lodge,” Sweet Pea said politely.

Veronica and Sweet Pea sat down at the table in the two empty seats left between Hermione and Mrs. Flannery. Veronica asked for a cup of coffee from a server and helped herself to a cinnamon bun from a platter.

“I was just saying what a nice surprise it was to see your aunt,” Hermione said to Patrick. “Shannon is one of my favorite people in the entire world.”

Shannon smiled, stirring her tea. “The feeling is very mutual, Hermie.”

Veronica laughed, hearing her mother being called the hideous nickname.

“I was just delighted to get a visit from Shan. We weren’t expecting to see her until Easter,” Mrs. Flannery explained.

“I had some business in Manhattan yesterday,” said Shannon. “I took the opportunity to surprise my mother and my favorite nephew, too.”

Sweet Pea laughed. “Don’t let my cousins hear you say that.”

“We’re very proud of Patrick.” Shannon took a sip of her coffee. “Did you know, Hiram, that my nephew received a full scholarship to MIT?”

Hiram nodded. “He’s a very promising young man.”

“I was so unhappy when Patrick joined the Serpents and got that stupid tattoo on his neck,” Shannon complained. “I was very surprised to see a Serpent tattoo on your daughter’s hand, Hermione, considering your family’s history with that awful gang.”

The temperature in the room went from friendly to frosty very quickly.

“Your father was a Serpent, your uncles were Serpents and your brothers were Serpents, Shannon Marie,” Mrs. Flannery said, her voice cold. “Serpent business has been keeping the bills paid in our house for years, including every year you grew up under my roof. So you watch your tongue, missy, before your words get you in trouble.”

Shannon flushed deeply, as only a true redhead could, turning beet red with embarrassment.

“I am proud to be a Serpent, Aunt Shannon.” Patrick picked up a croissant and bit into it. “My work helps out Gram and makes me the man of the house, not a burden. I won’t apologize for that. I will always take care of Gram; it is what Pop Pop wanted; he told me that himself.”

“As for my daughter, Shannon, I am proud of Veronica for getting in touch with her Southside roots,” Hiram said smoothly. “Her Serpent affiliation was surprising to us, but her mother and I respect her decision. She has shown true depth of character and a loyalty and compassion that I am truly humbled by.”

Veronica was touched by her father’s apparent sincerity.

Shannon snorted out loud. “Hiram, you wanted to get as far away from working-class Riverdale as possible and rub elbows with nothing but one-percenters in Manhattan. You didn’t even want Hermie’s low-class friends like me showing their faces in your fancy apartment building. If you honestly think that I believe that you welcomed your only child associating with a gang of criminals, you have another think coming.”

“Shannon, mind your manners,” her mother said sharply. “I am well aware that you and Hiram have never got along. Show a little respect while we are under his roof.”

Hiram stood up. “No need to defend me, Mrs. Flannery. I know how to keep the peace; the key is leaving Shannon and my lovely bride to their own devices. Patrick, would you join me in my study and leave the ladies to catch up?”

Sweet Pea nodded. “Sure. I’ll be right with you, Mr. Lodge.”

“Daddy, Patrick hasn’t even finished his breakfast,” Veronica protested.

Patrick kissed Veronica’s cheek. “Don’t worry about me, doll. I’ve already eaten a dozen of these tiny little pastry things.”

Hiram and Sweet Pea walked to his study, leaving the women chatting at the dining table.

“Your father and I have never seen eye-to-eye,” said Shannon. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable, Veronica.”

“Honestly, I was rather intrigued,” Veronica admitted. “I am used to people treating my father with a certain degree of respect, which you clearly don’t have for him."

“Your father will never be my favorite person,” Shannon admitted. “But I hope I didn’t put a damper on this visit. I am very curious to get to know you better, since you and my nephew have become so close.”

“I’d like to get to know you better, too.” Veronica smiled mischievously. “I’m sure you have lots of blackmail material on Mom and Dad, too.”

Shannon laughed. “The problem with that, Veronica, is that your mother has plenty of blackmail material on me!”

“Surely not,” Mrs. Flannery joked. “All of my children were absolute angels.”

Hermione giggled. “Now you know that wasn’t true at all. Bobby was the worst. The absolute worst!”

“That boy was trouble,” Mrs. Flannery reminisced. “That child was obsessed with blowing things up. Bottle rockets; firecrackers; percussion caps.”

“Bobby found a recipe for an explosive in some library book and he blew up two toilets at Riverdale High,” Shannon recounted.

“Your father and I had to pay for the damage to avoid Bobby’s expulsion,” said Mrs. Flannery. “And the only reason they didn’t expel him was that with the principal was scared of Serpent payback!”

“I had no idea that your husband was a Serpent too, Mrs. Flannery,” said Veronica.

“Oh, I’ve got enough stories to fill a book,” Mrs. Flannery said. “But a Serpent tells no tales.”

“You’re not a Serpent, Mother,” Shannon said with a smirk.

“Once Serpent property, always Serpent property,” Mrs. Flannery said with a smile.

Veronica laughed. “Well, I’m a Serpent now, Mrs. Flannery. So I can hear all of your stories, then.”

Mrs. Flannery smiled widely. “We just need to get rid of these two civilians and I can tell you stories that will curl your hair.”

“Mother,” Shannon said sharply. “That’s quite enough of that.” She turned to Veronica with a polite smile. “That’s a lovely Miraculous Medal, Veronica.”

Veronica touched her neck. “It was a gift from my father; an early birthday gift. I turn eighteen this coming Thursday.”

Hermione caught the comment and elaborated. “We are having a gala in honor of Veronica’s birthday next weekend. We are doing a charity auction to raise money for our family foundation. It’s the first major event at the new luxury hotel in SoDale, which was built by our company, Lodge Industries.”

“Technically, the SoDale complex was built by Andrews Construction,” Mrs. Flannery corrected her. “Fred’s company, Shannon.”

Shannon raised one eyebrow. “Fred took over his dad’s business?”

“He did,” Hermione confirmed. “As I was saying, the gala-”

“So, how is Fred Andrews?” Shannon sipped on her mimosa. “You know, Fred was far and away my favorite boyfriend of yours.”

Hermione shot her a look. “Shan.”

“Fred is a truly honorable, decent and kind human being.” Shannon raised an eyebrow. “Mary was very lucky to snag him.”

Hermione clicked her tongue. “Well, Shan, Mary left him a few years ago. Not exactly a love story for the ages.”

“Little Mary Kelly walked out on her husband?” Shannon looked shocked. “She was the biggest goody-goody when we were growing up. Personally, I thought she would become a nun; I was kind of surprised when Mary swerved towards Fred when you dumped him to get back with Hiram for the umpteen time.”

It was at this unfortunately timed moment that Hiram and Sweet Pea walked back out into the dining room. Sweet Pea sat next to Veronica and kissed her cheek.

“Babe, you smell disgusting,” Veronica complained. “Were you smoking cigars with my father?”

He nodded. “Cuban cigars,” he emphasized, with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I hope you had your fill of kissing me earlier, because I’m not kissing your ashtray mouth now. That’s so gross.”

Sweet Pea laughed and patted her knee.

Hiram walked over and sat next to his wife. “ _Mi vida_ , were you discussing Fred Andrews?” His voice was light and very casual.

Hermione noticeably stiffened. “The topic was originally SoDale and then we moved on to the participation of Andrews Construction,” she explained.

“And then we moved onto the fact that Fred was my favorite of Hermione’s high school boyfriends,” said Shannon, earning her a sharp look from Veronica’s mother.

“I believe that you made that abundantly clear at the time,” Hiram said, a slight edge in his voice. “But the better man won.” He kissed Hermione’s hand. “That is, after all, my wedding ring on her finger.”

“Shan, stop harassing Hiram and pick something else to gossip about,” Mrs. Flannery said, her voice amused. “Anyone with half a brain knew that Hermione was never going to marry poor Fred Andrews.”

“Why not?” asked Shannon. “Fred’s a very sweet, kind person.”

Hiram didn’t bother to hide his eye roll and Veronica giggled.

“Fred was good enough looking as a teenager,” said Mrs. Flannery. “But the Andrews men, they don’t age well. They start losing their hair really young; they get wrinkly like an old potato. No one wants to go to bed with that every night. Fred Andrews never had a lick of sex appeal. No girl wants to settle for just nice; you need a spark in the bedroom to keep things alive.”

“Mother!” Shannon was appalled.

Sweet Pea laughed.

“Your father and I had seven children, Shannon. How do you think we got them, from a visit from the stork? No!” Mrs. Flannery smiled. “Sean and I, we had chemistry from the first minute we laid eyes on each other. We both knew in an instant. Every girl wants that in a husband, a man who makes her tingle right down to her toes.”

Veronica smiled and looked at Patrick. He was already looking at her, a smile on her lips. “So do I?” he whispered in her ear, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Do you what, Patrick?” she whispered back.

“Do I make you tingle right down to your toes, Veronica?” Damn him, he knew how incredibly sexy he was when he teased her. Which wasn’t fair at the moment, since their families surrounded them.

Mrs. Flannery rose. “Well, this has been a delight, Hermione. Thank you for catching up with us. I hope that we see you more often at Mass.”

“We don’t go as often as we should,” Hermione said apologetically.

“But our family is turning over a new leaf,” Hiram said smoothly. “We will see you next Sunday at Mass, if not before.”

They all said their goodbyes. Sweet Pea kissed Veronica on the lips, his mouth gentle and warm. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school. Don’t forget to cram for our Chem test. I’ll let you know if I learn anything else from FP.”

As soon as the door was closed, Hiram turned to Veronica with a fierce look. “Veronica Cecilia Lodge.” Her father stared her down, his eyes hard. “Where are the deeds to my Southside properties?”

A shiver went down her spine. How did he know? Had Sweet Pea told him?

“I gave you my word that I would protect the trailer park and put my proposed development on hold. At great expense to our projected bottom line, I might add. Was that not enough for you?” Her father looked hurt and upset and Veronica felt guilty.

She chose her words very carefully. “I made promises to people that I care about. I had to make sure that I would be able to keep my word. It is important to me that I can be trusted, Dad. That my friends can always count on me.”

“So you put your loyalty to others before your loyalty to our family?” Hermione asked, her face pale.

Veronica swallowed hard. “I had to do what was right.”

“I don’t even have the words to tell you how disappointed I am, Veronica,” Hiram snapped. “I have bent myself over backwards trying to show you that I am a man of my word. What is it going to take for you to have faith in me again?”

“I want to believe in you,” Veronica confessed. “It hurts me to think that we can’t be honest with each other, Daddy, truly. But the stakes were too high and I felt it was necessary to obtain some leverage. My friends could lose their homes; people in the Southside are truly struggling for survival. I don’t want to be the catalyst for things to get even harder people like Jughead and Patrick and Toni.”

“You could throw all the money in the world at the Southside and it wouldn’t be enough to save it!” Hiram snapped. “The writing was on the wall for years, _mija_! Your crusade is admirable but ultimately it will fail. The Southside began its slow decline before you were even born.”

“Maybe you’re right and the Southside is on its last legs. But expanding our SoDale project will be the death knell for the Southside. It will be blood on our hands. Can’t you see I don’t want that; I can’t live with that!” Veronica said passionately.

“Veronica, you need to keep control of your temper,” Hermione said evenly.

“I promised you that I will hold off on development as long as it is economically viable to do so,” said Hiram. “But I want the deeds back in my possession by nightfall tomorrow, Veronica, or you will face very heavy consequences.”

“Hiram-” Hermione interrupted.

Her husband held up one finger warningly. “Stay out of this.”

Veronica absolutely hated the anger on her father’s face; the fear on her mother’s. She was sick of the entire dynamic, the painful undercurrents of her family life. She’d been dealing with this dysfunction her entire life and in that moment, she decided she’s had enough.

“I’m not your puppet!” Veronica said harshly. “You can’t have the deeds. They belong to me. Dieciocho is mine, not yours!”

Hermione made an audible gasp, her eyes wide.

“Until you turn eighteen you are under my authority!” Hiram roared, his face red. “Bring me those deeds or on your eighteenth birthday I will turn you out of this house onto the street! I have given you everything, everything you ever wanted, and I can take all of it away. You’ll walk out of this house with nothing. Nothing!”

It was almost freeing, hearing Veronica’s worst fear come out of her father’s mouth. She had somehow known that he had it in him; that the limit of his love was the end of her obedience. Without it, their family life was a house of cards, ready to fall.

“You have a huge gala planned at the SoDale Grand Hotel for my birthday, Dad,” Veronica pointed out. “You have important investors there, the press, your society friends from back home in Manhattan. How will it look if the guest of honor doesn’t show up? How embarrassing would that be for you, if your only child wasn’t there, ready to smile for the cameras and play happy family, just like we always have?”

“Veronica, don’t.” Hermione shook her head.

“Don’t push me, young lady! Don’t you dare threaten me!” Hiram stepped forward until he was nose to nose with her. A vein pulsed on his forehead; his face was crimson with anger. For the first time in her life, Veronica was afraid her father would actually raise his hand to her. “I can hurt you much more deeply than you can hurt me,” her father growled and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Hermione broke the standoff: she put her hand on her husband’s shoulder and shoved him backward, away from Veronica. “Get out of my house, Hiram.”

He turned to her with a astonished expression. “What?”

“You think you can threaten my child and I’ll just stand by and do nothing?” Hermione’s face twisted with anger. “Get out of my house!”

“You can’t throw me out of my own home!”

“It’s my name on the deed, not yours. I want you out.” Hermione pointed at the door.

“You wouldn’t dare do that to me!” her father roared.

Veronica stood by helplessly as her parent’s fragile marriage finally snapped.

“If you think I will let you throw our daughter into the street, you are out of your goddamned mind!” Hermione switched to Spanish, rattling off an angry rant much more quickly than Veronica could translate it.

Hiram literally threw up his hands and took a step back from her. “I spoke rashly, I was angry,” he stammered. “I didn’t mean it! Of course, I would never-“

“I will file for divorce tomorrow morning,” Hermione said flatly. “I stood by you and was loyal to you and this is how you repay me? Fuck you! I’ll take you for everything you have. You’ll settle with me out of court and meet every single demand I ask for or I will drag this mess out onto the public stage and the tabloids will descend on you like a pack of vultures!”

Hiram’s face drained of color. “ _Mi vida_ , please-”

Hermione opened the front door to the apartment. “Get out! Andre can bring you your things tomorrow.”

Defeated, Hiram left, slamming the door behind him.

Veronica and Hermione stared at each other for a long moment.

“I never thought you would choose me,” Veronica said softly. “I thought you would always take Daddy’s side.”

Hermione hugged her daughter close and kissed her forehead. “I will always choose you, Veronica, because you are my child. You are my future and all of my hopes and dreams. There is no love like a mother’s love for her child.”

Veronica hugged her mother. “Are you really going to divorce Daddy?” Her voice was small and childlike.

“I love your father,” Hermione said lightly, “but sometimes I do not like your father very much.” She smiled at Veronica. “Don’t worry, _mija_. I think it will be good for him to remember that I have options, that he does not hold all the cards. But mark my words, your father will show up at our door first thing tomorrow morning. He’ll have a magnificent piece of jewelry for me, a box of my favorite chocolates, and enough roses to choke a horse.”

“What will you do?” Veronica asked.

“I’ll take him back,” Hermione said matter-of-factly. “In a few days, it will all be like it never happened. But first, your father will learn to understand that threatening you is a line that he cannot cross. If he can’t learn that lesson, I really will end our marriage.”

Veronica sat quietly, staring at the ceiling. Her parent’s relationship made no sense to her. “If I had to walk out of this apartment empty handed, I have no idea what I would do. I’d have no resources, nothing.”

“You have a man who loves you,” Hermione reassured her. “Patrick will always be there for you and take care of you.”

Yuck. Veronica wasn’t interested in being some man’s responsibility. “I want to be able to take care of myself, Mom. I don’t just want to be Mrs. Patrick Flannery. I’m Veronica Lodge; I want to be empowered in my own life.”

Hermione nodded “If you want to be truly independent, you need to get an education, learn a profession; make something of yourself. Don’t just take over your father’s business; he’ll never let you out from under his shadow. You know that he gives with one hand and takes with the other; he likes to keep the upper hand at all times. You will need to forge your own path, as hard as that may be for you. But you have the intelligence and the strength, _mija_ ; never doubt that.”

“I know you’ll probably think it’s silly...but I want to be a wedding planner,” Veronica shared. “I think I would be wonderful at it. That’s what I want to do with my life. I could make a very good living doing that, with the right connections and clientele.” Ever since Toni had suggested it, she had been mulling it over in the back of her mind.

Hermione looked thoughtful. “What an interesting career. I think you would be very good at that, _mija.”_

Veronica could easily imagine it: helping brides select just the right designer gown; the most beautiful flowers; the perfect color scheme. “I’m going to make every bride have the most perfect wedding day in the world. What could possibly be a better job than that?”

Hermione laughed. “You will excel at whatever you put your mind to. I have no doubt about that.”

****

Veronica was lying awake at three in the morning, thinking about Patrick, when her phone buzzed. It was Sweet Pea. 

_I can’t stop thinking about you_. _Meet me in your garage._

He was in her garage? Veronica wrapped her bathrobe around her and quietly snuck to the front door. She made her way down the elevator. Sure enough, Sweet Pea’s car was parked in her space.

She opened the passenger door and climbed in. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t sleep. I need you.” He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his. He kissed her hungrily, expertly.

He was an amazing kisser: his mouth was warm, just the right amount of tongue, and he always tasted so good.

She felt his hands move to her waist. He was untying the belt of her bathrobe. “I want to touch you." He kissed her again and she felt his hand gently run up her body from her waist to her stomach to her chest. He pushed his seat all the way back and pulled her into his lap. “I’m taking this thing off.” He pulled the bathrobe down her arms, leaving her in her satin PJs. “You look so cute in your pajamas, doll.” His fingers caressed the strip of skin along the edge of her top. He flipped her hair aside. With a soft sigh, he sucked on the side of her neck.

“Oh, Patrick.” It felt so good. He was rough and intense, biting the side of her neck. He grabbed her hips and thrust up, rubbing his erection against the crotch of her pajamas.

She gasped. “I think we should find somewhere more comfortable than your car,” said Veronica.

“What do you suggest?” he asked, his eyes glazed with desire.

“Let’s sneak into the apartment,” she suggested. “It’s just Mom at home. If we’re quiet, she’ll never know.”

He shook his head no. “I want to make you scream tonight.” He bit her neck and rubbed her between her legs. “God, I need you so much.”

Sweet Pea was more than ready to go- and his need fired her own. “Do you have a condom on you?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Good. Let’s get in the back of the car, then.”

“Okay.” He picked her up by the waist and rolled her off him into the backseat.

She started laughing as she slid across the vinyl seat. “Wow, not a word of protest.”

He climbed on top of her and unbuttoned her pajama top. “God, your boobs are gorgeous.” He leaned forward and kissed first one and then the other.

She unfastened his belt and the buttons of his jeans.

He started laughing. “You’re a little impatient, aren’t you?”

“You’re the one who came over here in the middle of the night and started grinding on me, Patrick!”

He chuckled, a blush on his cheeks. “Guilty.”

“I really want you, too. I was lying in bed, thinking about making love with you.” She pushed her hand into his underwear and wrapped her fingers around his erection. “You’re so hard for me already.”

His eyes darkened and he kissed her hard. He slid his hand down her belly, pulled down her pants and slipped his fingers between her legs. “You’re wet for me already, too, aren’t you? So wet.”

She began to stroke him, wanting to make him feel good, too.

He shook his head. “Don’t play with me, I’ll cum all over your hand. You come for me first, then it’ll be my turn.” He began sliding his fingers in and out of her. “I want you really ready.”

“I’m already ready.” She was soaking wet between her legs.

“Be patient.” He kissed her as he worked his fingers in and out of her.

“Please, please fuck me right now.”

“You’ve got me so worked up I can’t even sleep,” Sweet Pea said, nipping her lower lip with his teeth. “I just lie there in bed, thinking about you, missing you.”

“You’ve got it bad for me, don’t you?” Veronica bit his earlobe.

“I’m fucking obsessed, doll.”

He played with her, bringing her to the edge of an orgasm and then stopping. “Please, Patrick, I want you now.”

“I want to drive you crazy, the way you’re driving me crazy.” He sucked on the base of her throat. “I want to make you need me so much it keeps you up at night.”

He teased her again, twice, three times, and then he gave it to her, all that she wanted. He slid on the condom and his thick cock slid into her. “Wrap your legs around me. Take me deep, doll. Feel how much I need you.”

He was big and strong and he wasn’t holding back, not tonight. He held her tightly and bit her shoulder and thrust into her so hard, over and over again. It was rough and intense and she loved it, she loved it so much.

He squeezed her ass in both hands. “You feel so good, I never want to stop.”

“You’re so big,” she gasped. “Oh, Patrick.”

“You make me so fucking hard.” He bit her earlobe, his teeth cutting into her skin. “I feel like I’m going to explode.”

She was just about to come, her climax so close that she was crying out, when he stopped moving.

“Oh my God, no.” She clutched at his arms with her hands.

“What do you need?” he whispered in her ear.

“You, Patrick, I need you.”

“Only me.” His eyes bored into hers.

“Oh, God, yes. Only you.”

He resumed his thrusts and she lost control of herself. She saw stars, felt white-hot sparks as she came. She heard him sigh, then grunt as he came, too, right along with her.

“God, I love you,” Sweet Pea whispered in her ear. “Veronica, my love. If I burn in hell for this, it was worth it.”

****

Veronica wore her Serpent jacket to school on Monday. First, it smelled fantastic. Second, she looked amazing. Third, it made her feel like a character in a Quentin Tarantino movie. She was a complete badass.

She decided that the jacket warranted an equally cool outfit. So she chose a tight-fitting green sweater, a black leather skirt and a pair of green snakeskin booties she’d picked up in Milan, but never found quite the right look for.

She was chatting with Betty outside their first-period classroom before the bell when Cheryl walked up. She was wearing her River Vixens outfit and carried a cardboard tray of drinks.

“I was hoping I would run into you both.” Cheryl handed Veronica a paper coffee cup. “Mocha latte for you.“ She did the same for Betty. “Decaf latte with soy milk for you.” She pulled a cardboard box out of her tote bag. “And croissants!”

“I wasn’t aware that we were back on such good terms. You’ve been, quite frankly, a horrible bitch ever since Southside merged with Riverdale. So what’s with the change in attitude?” Betty held up her paper cup. “Or are you trying to poison us, Cheryl?”

Cheryl sighed and looked very apologetic. “I’m truly sorry I was so rude to you both.”

“You’re sorry for what exactly?” asked Veronica. “There are a few things I can think of right off the top of my head. But basically calling me trash in front of the entire school? That’s going to require more than a latte to smooth over.” With that, Veronica tossed her drink into a nearby trashcan.

“Are you apologizing to us because Principal Weatherbee is pissed about what you said at the dance or is there another reason for your very sudden and dramatic change of heart?” asked Betty.

Cheryl flushed. “I was asked by Principal Weatherbee to apologize to certain members of the student body. But I do really mean it; I genuinely want to smooth over the tensions between the Southsiders and The Northsiders. As a token of good faith, I would like to invite you to be co-captain of the River Vixens with me for the spring season, Veronica, and for Betty to be part of the squad.”

“Are you sure you want Betty and I to be part of the Vixens? I’m a Southside Serpent, too.” Veronica held up her hand and showed off her tattoo. “I know that image doesn’t really gel with what you have in mind for the Vixen brand.”

“I am trying to genuinely extend an olive branch,” said Cheryl. “If you’ll let me. I would really appreciate it if you both would perform at the pep rally with us this Wednesday for the student body. I think that it would really drum up interest in the River Vixens for the new students and I think that it would be a show of good faith that the Vixens are open to all students, not just Northsiders.”

Veronica turned to Betty. “What do you think, B?”

Betty nodded. “I’m willing to give Cheryl the benefit of the doubt. But Cheryl, you need to be transparent that this is the agenda. No more dissing us in front of the other Northsiders. If you’re going to broker a truce between both sides, you need to convince the guys, too, like Archie and Moose.”

“I’m on it,” Cheryl promised. “So can I count on seeing you both at practice this afternoon?”

“We will be there.”

****

When Veronica walked into Chemistry, she was surprised to see that Sweet Pea wasn’t there. She had just pulled out her phone to text him when a message went out over the loudspeaker. “Veronica Lodge, please report to the main office.”

When Veronica walked into the main office, her mother was there. She was dressed in a black suit with her hair slicked back in a bun. She had a leather briefcase over one shoulder.

“I’m signing you out of school,” Hermione explained. “We have a meeting at your father’s office in SoDale.”

“What’s going on?” asked Veronica.

“I’m not quite willing to forgive and forget your father’s behavior,” said Hermione. “I’m negotiating a post-nuptial agreement with him, to protect my interests and yours.”

  
“Is he willing to do that?”

Hermione patted Veronica on the cheek. “If not, then the negotiations cease and I file for divorce. My attorney is ready for that eventuality as well.”

In the car, Hermione was busy rapidly texting on her phone. Veronica was lost in thought worrying about how this would all pan out. Was this the end of the road for her parents? What exactly would her mom ask for in order to stay in the marriage? The entire situation was upsetting.

When they arrived at the SoDale complex, Hiram was waiting outside the building. He helped both of them out of the car and followed them into the towering glass skyscraper.

“I’m delighted that you agreed to meet with me,” said Hiram.

“Has my attorney already arrived?” Hermione asked sharply.

“Not that I know of, my dear. I was hoping that his presence wouldn’t be necessary, _mi vida_ ,” said Hiram. He put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder, which she shrugged away.

“Oh, it’s very necessary,” Hermione replied.

The possibility of her parents’ reconciliation seemed to be fading by the minute. Veronica sighed deeply.

They walked through the imposing steel and marble lobby area and entered the private elevator to Hiram’s office. Mr. Ryan, her dad’s lawyer, was standing at the reception desk when they reached his floor, chatting with Hiram’s office manager, Mandy.

“Hermione.” Mr. Ryan smiled at her warmly. “I’ll be representing Hiram in your negotiations today. I hope there are no hard feelings.”

“No hard feelings at all, Derek,” Hermione said breezily. “My attorney will be here shortly. I believe you’re acquainted with Jamil Lake?”

Mr. Ryan raised his eyebrows. “Jamil Lake of Lake, Walters and Frond? The former quarterback?”

“Yes. I thought bringing in the top divorce lawyer in the state would be the best way to protect my interests as well as Veronica’s,” Hermione said, a smile on her lips.

Hiram and Mr. Ryan exchanged a look. “Hiram, before Mr. Lake arrives, perhaps we could have a quick word in your office?” the lawyer suggested.

The elevator doors opened and a tall African-American man who wore a sharp Italian suit and horn-rimmed glasses walked out.

He smiled widely. “Hermie, baby! So great to see you!” The huge man gave Hermione a back-slapping hug. “You look just as beautiful now as when we were just kids at Notre Dame,” he said, looking her up and down. “Maybe even better. Damn, girl.”

Hermione smiled up at him. “You always were a world-class bullshitter, Jamil.”

“And I loved the fact that you never fell for it, not for a second.” He chucked affectionately, his hand still on her waist.

“I’m Hermione’s husband, Hiram Lodge.” He stuck out his hand and the lawyer shook it.

“I remember meeting you,” said Jamil. “You came up for a football game junior year. That was right before you somehow convinced Hermie to drop out of school and head back to New York.”

“A long distance relationship didn’t suit me very well,” Hiram explained.

“Well, looks like you’ve had decades now of Hermione bending over backwards to suit you,” Jamil noted. “Today, we’re going to talk about what exactly you can do for her.”

Veronica was impressed at the look on her dad’s face. He was truly intimidated; that didn’t happen much.

“ _Mija_.” Hermione put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Please wait outside while we hammer out the post-nuptial agreement. We’ll call you in when we’re ready for you.” She kissed Veronica on the cheek and they all walked into the conference room, closing the door behind them.

Veronica headed over to the reception desk. Her father’s office manager, Mandy, smiled at her. “Can I get you anything, Miss Lodge?”

“I’ll just wait in Daddy’s office while they have their meeting,” said Veronica. She’d brought her books; she could study a bit more for the Chem test she was currently missing.

“We just had a staff meeting break up,” said Mandy. “There’s leftover sandwiches and cookies in the lunchroom if you want to grab a plate.”

Since it looked like she was going to miss lunch at school, Veronica thanked Mandy and headed down the hallway. In the nicely appointed lunchroom she helped herself some food.

There was an announcement board, with posted memos, mounted on the wall. It was the usual office stuff: reminding people to refill the copier, keep the kitchen area clean. But one sign caught her interest:

 _Effective immediately, all correspondence and phone calls pertaining to_ _Dieciocho are to be directed to Penny Peabody in Suite 1210, x1200._

The name Penny Peabody rang a bell, but she couldn’t quite place it. Veronica took a picture of the sign on her phone, finished her sandwich and headed out to the elevator. “Mandy, can you please call my cell when my mother is ready for me to come back?”

“Certainly, Miss Lodge.”

Veronica tapped the elevator button for the twelfth floor. When the elevator stopped, she walked down the hall to the corner suite. An etched glass door announced this was the office of Dieciocho Community Solutions.

Veronica opened the door. Inside was a small lobby area; the side tables and chairs were still wrapped in plastic, recently delivered. The reception desk was still under construction; only half of the wood facing had been put on. But mounted on the wall was a huge graphic: BUILDING A BRIGHTER RIVERDALE. It was an artist’s rendering of the Southside. Veronica looked at it for a long moment in disbelief and took several photos.

“Excuse me?” A feminine voice behind her startled Veronica. She turned to see a woman in her late forties in a tightfitting gray suit and tall heels, with bleached blonde hair and as slightly orange fake tan. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

“I’m Veronica Lodge.” She extended a hand in greeting. “Are you Penny Peabody?”

The woman didn’t answer her. “I’m afraid that I’m going to have to ask for your phone,” she said, extending her hand. “You’ve taken photos of confidential material.”

“In case you missed it, I’m Veronica Lodge,” she said archly. “This is my company. I can take a photo of whatever I want.”

“I’m afraid you’re very wrong about that, little missy.” The woman’s voice was crisp and cold; Veronica’s gut told her that any second, she was going to rush her. She took a step backward; the woman took a step forward. “Give me that phone. Now.”

This entire situation made no sense to Veronica. Was this woman seriously going to attack her in her own office? As stupid as this all seemed, Veronica felt threatened. So she did what seemed the best idea: she pulled out her Taser and pointed it at the woman. “Look, you need to back off.”

Instead, the woman laughed and stalked forward. “If you think I’ll be scared off by some silly little purple water p-“

Veronica flipped open the safety cover and fired the Taser. The probes hit the woman in the chest and she fell to the floor, twitching. Veronica had thirty seconds to get the hell out of there while the woman was incapacitated.

Veronica ran down the hall towards the elevator, pressing buttons on her phone. She sent the photos she had taken inside the office to her group chat. Immediately the messages started coming in.

_Jughead: What the FUCK is this?_

_Betty: Oh noooo_

_Sweet Pea: Where the hell did you get this doll?_

 

She quickly typed:

_I AM IN TROUBLE @DAD’S SODALE OFFICE; JUST TASED SOME SHADY BITCH. PENNY SOMETHING? WTF_

She got in the elevator. Up or down? Up was to her parents and should seem safe; but her dad had set up a separate office for Dieciocho and set up some shady ass woman there who was ready to take her phone away and attack her, even though she had told her she was Hiram’s daughter.

Veronica chose the lobby. She hit the button for the lobby and the elevator doors closed. She sent a text message to her mother:

_Ask daddy about Dieciocho; office on 12th floor; just got attacked by some shady bitch who works for Dad! Dad’s lied to me about EVERYTHING having to do with SoDale and the Southside. DONT TRUST HIM.  
_

The elevator opened at the lobby level and two security guards stood there with crossed arms. “Miss Lodge, please come with us.”

“No thanks.” Veronica immediately did what she’d been trained to do by her self-defense instructors. She crouched down low, slammed one guard in the crotch with her head, popped back up and slammed her elbow in the other guard’s throat. When they were both double over, she ran like hell across the lobby.

Veronica kicked off her heels and dashed as fast as she could across the lobby floor. Her body was flooded with adrenaline; she was in danger, so much danger, her brain insisted. _Get away, now!_

“Miss Lodge!” she heard in the background. Just outside, she saw a motorcycle coming impossibly fast, speeding around the driveway towards the entrance to the building.

Veronica pushed open the revolving door and ran out into the street. The motorcycle squealed to a stop in front of her. “Get on kid, get on!” It was FP. He handed her a helmet and she buckled it on.

She threw her leg over the bike, grabbed his shoulders and they took off, faster than Veronica would have thought possible.

****

“You know, this has been a seriously shitty day.” FP glared at Veronica as he shook a couple of aspirin into the palm of his hand. “I mean, zero out of ten stars, you feeling me?”

“I’m sorry,” Veronica said apologetically.

FP popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry. “So, let me recap my shitty morning and then we’ll get to your fucking mess.” He sat down behind his makeshift desk in the Serpents warehouse. “Guess what I found in the footage from the barn? Some dude I can’t identify and Malachai’s fucking girlfriend Bambi setting that mascot suit on fire.”

“ _Bambi_ knows where the barn is?” Veronica was stunned.

“Looks like the king of the Ghoulies has been whispering some secrets to his piece of tail,” FP noted. “His dad would have his balls if he knew. Back in the day, a man’s word was his bond. These days, no one can keep a fucking secret.” FP was really pissed off about this.

“Can I see the footage from the barn?” asked Veronica.

FP turned around his laptop and Veronica watched the footage. Bambi’s face was clear; the security light from the barn had lit up her face more than once. “That guy’s definitely not Malachai,” said Veronica.

“No, doesn’t look a thing like him. Height, build, it’s all wrong,” FP agreed.

The guy was wearing a leather bomber jacket with a lambskin collar; there was a glint of light off his face. “He’s wearing glasses,” said Veronica.

“Sweet Pea’s at the barn going through all the Ghoulie photos we have on his big fucking computer, running through some scan to try to match this dude’s face,” said FP. “Crew cut, thick black glasses. I mean, that’s absolutely nothing to go on.”

“Wait, can you show me the footage again?” Veronica watched the tape again. “FP, that’s not a Ghoulie,” she said breathlessly. “Holy shit, that’s Dilton Doiley! He’s the bomber.” She scrolled through her phone and found a photo of the stage at the welcome dance with Dilton at the DJ booth. She zoomed in on the photo and showed the image of Dilton to FP.

“Holy shit, I think that’s the guy. Who the fuck is this kid?” FP asked, looking at the screen.

“Survivalist, general weirdo, hangs out with a bunch of little boys as the leader of the Adventure Scouts,” Veronica explained. “I always got a weird vibe off of him. He was my chemistry tutor; he’s the president of the Chemistry Club at Riverdale High.”

“Sounds like we found the bomber. Fuck, this is such a goddamn mess. What the hell do we do now?” FP ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

“We need to show the sheriff this footage,” Veronica said passionately. “Dilton’s burning the stupid mascot suit in it!”

“What possible explanation can there be for us to have this footage? I can’t take it to the cops and talk to them about the barn,” said FP. “Can’t you see what this is? This is a Ghoulie plot, Veronica. They brought in a fucking bomber to try to take over the Southside and bring down the Serpents!”

“We have to stop Dilton before he sets off another bomb,” said Veronica. “And if we can’t take the evidence to the cops, how can we stop him?”

“Well the only permanent solution I can think of is to take him out,” FP said matter-of-factly. “And I don’t go around murdering kids, even psycho terrorist ones.”

The situation was totally fucked up.

“We have to give this tape to the sheriff,” Veronica insisted.

“If we hand this over to the pigs, we’re all headed to life in prison for drug manufacturing! I’m over a goddamn barrel here,” FP barked. “This is some serious shit.” He began to pace.

“Would it be possible to clear out the lab so that all that’s left is just an empty barn?” asked Veronica.

FP sighed and rubbed his hands together. “Sure, possibly. But it would take a lot of money and that won’t sit well with your old man. And things with Hiram right now, thanks to you, are totally fucked up. I basically just kidnapped you from his office to save you from Penny fucking Peabody! That bitch is a bad penny; turns up at the most inopportune fucking time, every time."

Veronica pulled out her phone and placed a call. “Daddy, we need to talk.”

“I can’t believe what happened earlier today,” Hiram said sharply. “This-”

“Look, we figured out who the bomber is but we can’t expose him without revealing the jingle jangle production,” Veronica interrupted. “Daddy, this is a major problem for all of us. I’m sure you understand that. We need your help. Can you come down to the Serpent warehouse at five o’clock?”

“Why five o’clock?” FP interrupted.

“I need to get back to school,” Veronica explained. “I already missed a really important Chem test and I have cheerleading practice.”

FP rolled his eyes. “Serpent cheerleaders? Fuck my life, man.”

“Which warehouse?” asked Hiram.

“The one between the auto parts warehouse and the old packing plant on the riverfront,” Veronica explained. “Oh, and bring Penny Peabody, too. I understand that she’s a Serpent as well as the person running the Dieciocho office. That’s pretty goddamn intriguing, Dad. So, we have a lot of things to discuss.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on, princess, but I don’t like it one bit,” said Hiram.

“That makes two of us, Daddy.”

Veronica hung up her phone and texted her mother to meet them at five o’clock at the warehouse, too. She wanted her mother to be there, to hear her father’s “explanation” for his myriad lies and manipulations.

FP placed a call, too. “Malachai? I’m calling parlay. We have a major fucking problem here. Bring your people; make sure you have that piece of ass Bambi with you, too. I want you all down at my warehouse at five o’clock sharp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Jandy, queen of all betas.
> 
> Thanks for your patience with my slow ass update schedule. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


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